Manchester United decide on two forwards ahead of summer transfer window in £49m boost
The latest Man Utd transfer news as they approach the summer window.
Manchester United plan to let both Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho leave the club this summer as they look to reduce their payroll.
Rashford joined Barcelona on a season-long loan last summer, which includes an option to make the move permanent for €30 million (£26m) at the end of the season. The Catalan club also agreed to cover his reported £240,000-a-week wage in full after he accepted a 25 percent pay cut when they failed to qualify for the Champions League, facilitating the transfer.
It means United have already saved roughly £12.5m in wage payments this season, and they have no intention to accept a cut-price sale of the academy graduate this summer. Barcelona want to lower the agreed-upon £26m asking price for Rashford, but United insist they will stand firm on his valuation, with the belief that the agreement is already good value for signing a player of his calibre. If he doesn't move to Barcelona, the club are confident they will be able to find another side willing to pay that price for him, though his wages could be an issue.
Sancho also set for United exit
Manchester United hope to receive a fee for Marcus Rashford but are prepared to let Jadon Sancho depart as a free agent when his contract comes to an end this summer. Sancho joined Aston Villa on loan last summer, with the Midlands club agreeing to pay 80 percent of his reported £200,000-a-week wage.
United spent £73 million to sign Sancho from Borussia Dortmund back in 2021 and believed they had pulled off somewhat of a coup after the German side had demanded £109m to sell him a year earlier. Sancho will go down as one of the worst signings in United's history, and the club will not trigger their option of an additional year in his contract.
While there might be a temptation to trigger the extra year in Sancho's deal and try to sell him for a fee this summer, United are also aware it would be a risk and could leave them unable to shift a player who would be due to receive another £10.4m in wage payments next season.
Any fee received for Rashford will be considered pure profit from a financial perspective due to his status as an academy graduate, so even if he is sold for £26m to Barcelona, the club would be given a huge boost. If you throw in the combined wages of both Rashford and Sancho for another season, it could be argued that the club would be £48.9m better off after the exits.