Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, has made it clear that he wants the team and Marcus Rashford to reach an agreement on a new contract before the end of the current campaign.
Erik ten Hag has let the Manchester United hierarchy know that he wants the team to work out a new contract with Marcus Rashford before the summer.
Rashford has improved since working with Ten Hag after going through a difficult period prior to the Dutchman’s arrival. With 27 goals this season across all competitions, Rashford currently leads United in scoring.
At the end of the current campaign, the 25-year-old’s current contract will have just one year remaining, so United is eager to negotiate new terms with the England star, who would be in line to become the team’s highest paid player. Rashford has chosen to put off contract negotiations until the current takeover saga is over, though.
Ten Hag isn’t deterred and wants the situation to be resolved sooner rather than later despite the fact that Rashford isn’t in a hurry to reach a deal regarding his future and the takeover saga isn’t any closer to being resolved. According to Sky Sports, the United chief has ‘given the directive’ for the club to work out new terms with the striker before the summer.
The club is attempting to reach an agreement with David de Gea as well as with Marcus Rashford, although Rashford is viewed as the top priority.
Longtime admirers of Rashford include French champions Paris Saint-Germain, who are rumored to be keeping an eye on the striker’s current whereabouts. Nevertheless, the United academy graduate is anticipated to stay at Old Trafford despite considerable interest from other clubs.
Ten Hag has already stated emphatically that he will not permit the ongoing takeover rumors to have an adverse effect on his preparations for the upcoming season. The manager of United wants to bring in a top striker during the summer transfer window, and Harry Kane of Tottenham is at the top of his list.
He wants the team to sign a No. 9 quickly before the 2023–24 season, especially after negotiations for Frenkie de Jong, the club’s top transfer target last year, dragged on and ultimately fell through.
In Wednesday night’s 1-0 victory over Brentford, Rashford scored the game-winning goal to keep United’s hopes of finishing in the top four alive. Ten Hag acknowledged after the game that United had relied too heavily on Rashford this season, but he thought that other players could contribute goals.
“Yeah, it’s the truth,” Ten Hag said when it was put to him that United were reliant on their talisman. “But also we know other players can score as well: Bruno, Antony scored a couple of goals, Jadon Sancho can score, Marcel Sabitzer can score. We have many more players across the squad who can score. What you want as a squad is that you have two players who can score more than 12 or 15 goals a season.”
Bruno Fernandes spotted ‘waking up’ David de Gea in unseen footage of Man Utd win
In order to revive their chances of qualifying for the Champions League, Manchester United defeated Brentford 1-0 at Old Trafford. However, fans also noticed an unusual moment between two of their stars.
With a slender and spirited victory over Brentford on Wednesday night, Manchester United’s hopes of finishing in the top four were revived.
Going into the match with the Bees, the Red Devils had appeared to be sleepwalking towards the Premier League finish line. However, Marcus Rashford’s goal maintains their lead over the pursuing pack and makes their Champions League aspirations crystal clear and tangible.
As he recovered from his first-half slump to stop the visitors with an outstanding save after the break, David de Gea also played a crucial part. The Spaniard appeared to be in need of a wake-up call for the majority of the opening 45 minutes as his sluggish passing nearly allowed Brentford to score an important goal.
Brentford did the same after Newcastle obviously targeted that area of his game, and Ivan Toney nearly made him pay when a clearance deflected off him and narrowly missed. As Thomas Frank’s team looked for an equalizer, the nerves spread from the six-year box to the spectators.
Their best opportunity came when Kevin Schade was one on one with the United keeper, but De Gea saved it. Peter Schmeichel will thwart the attempt. He sacrificed himself in the process, needing medical attention following the collision with the forward.
And in the video that was shot at that time, Bruno Fernandes was seen kicking the stopper while being treated, providing a glimpse into his…unique leadership style.
The Portuguese playmaker took a few playful kicks at the injured star’s midsection, much to the displeasure of the United physios. One supporter responded, “Well that totally worked because De Gea was all right after that, so Bruno > Medics.”
Another wrote, “(Insert meme) Wake up, do something!” A third said in jest, “Lol he said ‘what a save mate but get up’.”
The discussion surrounding whether De Gea should be given a new contract, which expires in the summer, was perfectly encapsulated during the Old Trafford victory. De Gea is clearly uncomfortable playing from the back, but there are still very few better when it comes to big saves and big moments. Erik ten Hag is obviously desperate for his charges to do this.
Ten Hag said: “When you need David, he is there and when you lose focus, mistakes can happen. We want to play as a machine and don’t make mistakes. We make one mistake and luckily they didn’t benefit from it and also it was the performance from David de Gea.”
For his part, Fernandes would have simply been happy to see his goalkeeper rejoin the game and preserve yet another shutout. Since the ex-Sporting star is now the club captain in all but name, his leadership style has been questioned for a significant portion of this season.
Although the midfielder’s antics frequently make the news, Fernandes insists that they are all part of his charm. In a statement to BT Sport last month, he said, “Sometimes when I’m shouting, from the outside it seems like I’m saying something bad to my team-mates, but it’s the opposite way around.”
“I do it this way with my arms and everything. When you see me waving my arms, you may not realize that I’m doing it in a good way.
For Bruno Fernandes and his top-four chasing United teammates, waving arms, groaning at teammates, and politely kicking them in the stomach are all part of the deal.
