Man Utd ‘trigger’ contract extensions of four key players ahead of Burnley clash
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Manchester United have reportedly triggered clauses to extend the contracts of four of their key players this week. The news comes ahead of their return to competitive action as they host Burnley in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
The Athletic have confirmed that the Red Devils have triggered one-year contract extensions to keep Marcus Rashford, Diogo Dalot, Luke Shaw and Fred at the club, with all four’s current deals set to expire in the summer. United made sure to activate the clauses before players were able to make pre-contract agreements with overseas clubs during the January transfer window.
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Hide AdThe four United players have been regulars under Erik ten Hag this season with Dalot, Shaw and Fred always expected to extend their stays at Old Trafford - however, Rashford has spent much of 2022 linked with a move away from his boyhood club. The 25-year-old joined the Red Devils when he was only eight years old and became an integral part of the first team during the 2016-17 campaign, but his inconsistent form and heavy criticism for United it was suggested that Rashford would look for a new challenge ahead of his contract expiry.
It was only a couple of weeks ago that Paris Saint-Germain president, Nasser al-Khelaifi, confirmed the French giants’ interest in Rashford, with reports claiming they were willing to offer him a whopping £850,000-a-week to move to Ligue 1. Speaking to Sky Sports News, Khelaifi said: “He’s another player that is really amazing. And for free? To have Rashford for free, every club would run after him, definitely. We’re not hiding it, we spoke before and [there was] interest, but the moment was not a good moment for both sides. Maybe, summer, why not?
“Today if he’s a free agent of course we can talk to him directly, but we are not going to talk to him now. Let him focus on the World Cup. Then after, in January hopefully, if we’re interested we will talk to him.”
Tying Rashford down to a contract extension was a high priority for United and it is likely they will offer him a salary increase to ward off interest, while PSG could still look to snap him up in the summer. Meanwhile, The Athletic claimed that David De Gea’s contract has not been extended but the club want him to accept lower terms to stay on, with the Spaniard said to be eager to remain at Old Trafford for ‘more years’.
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