Manchester United keep working the market
Manchester United have been reasonably busy in the transfer market - but there could still be plenty more to come before the deadline.
With Michael Carrick preparing for his first full season in charge, his side remain active on several high-profile fronts. Their midfield has already been strengthened by the arrivals of Andrey Santos from Chelsea in a £50million deal and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for £35m. Even so, United are still believed to be in the market for at least one more man in the centre of the park.
Attention will also soon turn to trimming the squad. Most notably, there's the question of what to do with Marcus Rashford, who is currently in limbo after being denied a move to Barcelona. With less than a month remaining before the transfer window closes and negotiations gathering pace across Europe, Mirror Football takes a look at the latest Manchester United transfer headlines.
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United's efforts to move Rashford on this summer have been handed an added sense of urgency after details of a lucrative clause in his contract came to light. The 28-year-old currently earns an estimated £300,000 a week at Old Trafford, but that figure is now set to rise after United secured a return to the Champions League.
Before Sir Jim Ratcliffe overhauled the club's wage structure, United players were entitled to an automatic 25 per cent pay rise if the club qualified for Europe's premier competition. That bonus scheme was scrapped in 2024, but existing contracts signed beforehand - including those of Rashford and Mason Mount - still contain the clause.
With Rashford already earning roughly £16m a year, his salary is expected to increase by around £4m following United's Champions League qualification. It only strengthens the club's desire to find a buyer before the transfer window closes.
For much of the summer, a permanent move to Barcelona appeared the most likely outcome after his loan spell in Catalonia. However, the Spanish champions' £70m signing of Anthony Gordon looks to have ended that possibility.
With just over three weeks remaining in the window, both player and club are running out of time to resolve his future.
Barcelona's surprise move for Manchester City midfielder Rodri could have a significant knock-on effect on United's transfer plans. Real Madrid had appeared to be leading the race for the Spain captain, whose contract at the Etihad Stadium has less than a year left.
Jose Mourinho's side were reportedly willing to pay upwards of £60m for the 30-year-old and City are open to cashing in. For United, a move to the Bernabeu would be the ideal outcome.
Rodri's arrival could pave the way for Aurelien Tchouameni to leave, since the club would need to free up space in midfield and raise funds to keep their finances in check. The France international remains high on United's wishlist. But convincing Real Madrid to part with him looks highly is they lose out on a midfielder of Rodri's calibre.
Barcelona's interest has now complicated the equation. Should the Catalan giants win the race for Rodri, Real Madrid would have little reason to entertain offers for Tchouameni - dealing a major blow to United's hopes of pulling off a late midfield coup.
Background on Rashford and the wider transfer picture
Our own earlier coverage has already tracked how Marcus Rashford's future has been a major talking point throughout the summer. In Man Utd transfer talk: Marcus Rashford swap deal mooted as Michael Carrick plans four exits, it was reported that Michael Carrick had strengthened Manchester United with three senior arrivals, but Rashford's future and four possible exits were then the focus of transfer speculation.
That uncertainty was also reflected in Marcus Rashford swap idea emerges as £51million Roma move is mooted, which said Rashford’s future was uncertain after Barcelona passed on their £26million option, while Paul Ince and Wes Brown backed a Manchester United return under Michael Carrick.
More recently, Marcus Rashford set for £4million boost as Man Utd face contract loophole bill set out how Rashford was set for an extra £4million at Manchester United after a Champions League-linked contract clause was triggered, while Mason Mount was also due a rise and Andre Onana's wages were covered by Trabzonspor.
And in Marcus Rashford return could force Man Utd rethink on Patrick Dorgu and Matheus Cunha, Rashford's return to Manchester United was said to be able to impact Patrick Dorgu and Matheus Cunha as the club weighed up his future after Barcelona missed a £26million clause.
