Marcus Rashford is set to earn an additional £4million from Manchester United this season, even if he does not play a single minute. The England winger is searching for a new club after being told he will not return to Barcelona despite a successful loan last year.
Contract clause triggers bonus
The 27-year-old's wage demands are thought to have proven prohibitive this summer, but United's plans to offload him have been complicated by an increase to his salary. Rashford joins Mason Mount and out-on-loan goalkeeper Andre Onana in having clauses in their contracts that benefit them this season.
United's absence from European competition last season resulted in wage reductions, but their return to Champions League football this campaign has seen salaries restored. For Rashford and Mount, who remain at the club, this is particularly advantageous owing to the clause within their legacy contracts.
New pay structure for first-team players
The opportunity for a pay rise still exists within United's contracts for first-team players, but they must now earn it by featuring in more than 60 per cent of the minutes throughout the preceding campaign. This requires players to have been on the pitch in the Premier League for just over 2,000 minutes.
Rashford and Onana spent the campaign on loan at other clubs while Mount featured in just over half of the total required, but none of the trio need be concerned about receiving their bonuses.
Impact on United's transfer plans
With Rashford earning approximately £16million annually, United's qualification for elite European competition means he will pocket an additional £4million on top of his regular salary. United are also obliged to pay Mount more than £1m each year, though Onana's wages for the season are being met entirely by Trabzonspor, so no increase is heading his direction.
Both Rashford and Onana have been made available for permanent sale, but United have encountered difficulties offloading either, primarily due to their salaries and the bonus clauses in their contracts. Given the avoidable expenditure, United's summer strategy is being affected, with moves for priority targets considered too costly. The club were able to negotiate shrewd deals for Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos but failed to secure Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes.
