MU's new "trick" determined not to repeat the Rashford headache

Manchester United has altered its contract construction approach with players to manage salary costs and prevent similar predicaments as with Marcus Rashford in the transfer market.

Manchester United is implementing a new mechanism in player contracts, aiming to limit excessive salary increases that make it difficult for the club to sell players.

According to The Telegraph's recent report, this change was introduced by INEOS in new contracts or renewals since late 2023. It is seen as part of a plan to control the wage bill, which was once among the highest in the Premier League.

Previously, many MU players had clauses that increased their income by about 25% when the team qualified for the Champions League, regardless of individual contributions during the season. However, the new policy has added an important condition.

A player must play at least 60% of the total possible minutes across all competitions in the season to qualify for the 25% increase when MU is in the Champions League. This means less-used players will no longer automatically benefit solely from the team's overall success.

Joshua Zirkzee is an example. The Dutch striker did not meet the required minutes threshold last season, so his salary remained unchanged ahead of the new season.

This detail also provides an advantage for MU in the transfer market. With Juventus reportedly monitoring Zirkzee, the fact that the striker's salary is not excessively high makes it easier for the Red Devils to find a partner if they decide to sell.

Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford is among the players who signed contracts before the new policy was applied. The English striker renewed for five years in July 2023, meaning his contract still operates under the old structure.

Therefore, even though he was loaned to Barcelona last season, Rashford still benefited from the 25% salary adjustment after MU qualified for the Champions League. According to calculations by British media, if he had remained at Old Trafford, the difference from this clause could have been around £4 million for Rashford.

This is also one of the reasons why the future of the English player becomes a difficult puzzle.

Barcelona paid all of Rashford's salary during his loan spell, but the Spanish club was unwilling to meet the £26 million price tag MU demanded for a permanent transfer.

MU currently also does not want to continue loaning out Rashford, making the possibility of him returning to work under Michael Carrick increasingly clear.

Andre Onana and Mason Mount are two other Manchester United players this season still affected by the old contract structure.