Updated: 19 Aug 2026 08:01 BST |
4 min read
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Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Marcus Rashford is inadvertently causing Manchester United a major headache as they fight to secure a contract renewal for captain Bruno Fernandes.
Rashford was not expected to return to Old Trafford after he made a loan move to Barcelona last summer, which contained a €30 million purchase option.
Although the attacker enjoyed a successful stint at Camp Nou, he ultimately failed to convince the Blaugrana to trigger his purchase option, largely because of his wage demands.
While United manager Michael Carrick is open about welcoming Rashford back into his squad because of the quality he can potentially bring the team, the club’s hierarchy have been actively working to complete a transfer in order to get his salary off the books.
Bruno Fernandes’ contract negotiations are a case study in why the England attacker has accidentally made himself a disruptive presence back at Old Trafford, Romano has said.
Rashford is the cause of Man Utd’s Bruno Fernandes dilemma
Rashford is Man Utd’s highest earner, with the England start claiming a wage of £325,000 per week.
Bruno seems to naturally be pegging his worth against his team-mate, and Romano confirmed this is one of several potential stumbling blocks in negotiations.
“It’s about the salary. Don’t forget that Rashford returned to Manchester United, and so Rashford’s salary is obviously a point,” Romano said when discussing the issue, adding that contract length and a release clause will also be factors for the Portuguese to consider.
Symbolically, it would be no surprise if Bruno wanted to at least match his colleague’s wages given that he has been United’s most important player since first arriving at the club in January 2020. This was underlined last season as he delivered a record 21 Premier League assists in a campaign that ended with Champions League qualification.
Rashford, meanwhile, is returning to the club this summer with the status of a bench player.
But while the logic is solid from the player’s standpoint, Ineos have brought in a new streamlined wage structure at Man Utd that has the intention of reducing the overall wage bill at the club.
Giving Bruno a hefty pay rise to match Rashford is not something they will want to do as this will then become the benchmark wage when discussing contract terms with their other existing players as well as new signings.
This is, therefore, creating a serious dilemma for United: how do they successfully negotiate with Fernandes while a player of lesser status in Rashford is being so richly remunerated?
Romano has confirmed that this is an issue at Old Trafford, and it’s one the club will have to be very smart in resolving.
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