Marcus Rashford hit by huge Nike blow as lucrative deal is slashed and industry insiders reveal DELAYED target date for new stadium upgrade: MAN UNITED CONFIDENTIAL

Marcus Rashford hit by huge Nike blow as lucrative deal is slashed and industry insiders reveal DELAYED target date for new stadium upgrade: MAN UNITED CONFIDENTIAL

Marcus Rashford is continuing to earn £315,000-a-week during his loan at Aston Villa, but it appears the Manchester United star will have to take a hit on his lucrative sponsorship with Nike.

The seven-year deal signed in 2021 made Rashford one of the elite footballers linked to the US sportswear giant, joining a stable that includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne.

Confidential understands a Nike client like Rashford can earn in excess of £1.5million-a-year including bonuses, but that figure can drop to £50,000 at the lowest end of the scale.

And while Villa are paying a minimum of 75 per cent of Rashford’s salary – rising to 90 per cent based on him helping the Midlands club progress in the Champions League or qualify for Europe next season – there is no such protection on the Nike contract.

They are structured according to different categories of clubs, with a 50 per cent reduction in pay between each category.

United were a Category A club when Rashford signed his deal and he is moving into a lower band by going on loan to Villa.

Marcus Rashford is set to take a hit on his lucrative sponsorship with sportswear giants Nike

Rashford joined Villa on loan until the end of the            season

The west Midlands club can sign their new No 9 for £40million in the summer

The 27-year-old completed his loan move from Manchester United to Aston Villa on Sunday

The seven-year deal penned in 2021 made Rashford one of the elite footballers signed to Nike

The seven-year deal penned in 2021 made Rashford one of the elite footballers signed to Nike 

It is understood that Nike are entitled to reduce his basic wage and have the power to request repayment of some of the signing-on fee they paid him four years ago.

Maybe that is one reason the 27-year-old had his heart set on a move to Barcelona, a mainstay among the elite Category A clubs.

The player’s sponsorship earnings will also have been impacted by his lack of appearances and goals during a 13-game absence at United, and could drop by up to another 25 per cent because he has not played for England since March last year.

Rashford’s Nike contract was signed at the height of his popularity in 2021, when he was awarded the MBE for campaigning against child food poverty during the pandemic. But his appearances for the firm have become less frequent in recent years. Burberry, Levi, Beats and others are also believed to have parted ways with Rashford since then.

Ratcliffe racing to beat 2032

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is in a hurry to get the Old Trafford project up and running, but industry insiders believe it could be 2032 before the stadium could be fully rebuilt or redeveloped.

Ratcliffe and minority owners Ineos hope it can be finished by 2030 and that enabling work can begin before the end of this year.

One example would be the stunning SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles – where United played Arsenal on tour last summer – which was completed ahead of schedule.

But Confidential understands architects think 2032 is a more realistic target, given that it could take several years just to get full planning permission.

Red Devils co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is in a hurry to get the Old Trafford project up and running

Red Devils co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is in a hurry to get the Old Trafford project up and running

Industry insiders believe it could be 2032 before the stadium is fully rebuilt or redeveloped

Industry insiders believe it could be 2032 before the stadium is fully rebuilt or redeveloped

United’s preference is to rebuild Old Trafford as a 100,000-seater ‘Wembley of the North’, and that view has only hardened since the stadium taskforce confirmed that redevelopment would only increase the capacity to 87,000.

Purchasing the land behind Old Trafford, which is currently used as a freight rail terminal, is seen as the key to unlocking the stadium project and wider regeneration and it is hoped a breakthrough could be made in the next couple of months.

Talks with Freightliner are said to be going well and any issues revolve around the company getting Government help to move to a new location at Port Salford or Parkside.

The clock is ticking and Ratcliffe and Co are itching to get started, so it can be finished as soon as possible.

Munich duo take a step back

The two fans behind the group which organises events to commemorate the Munich 1958 Air Disaster have stepped back from their role after a disagreement with the club over the direction of the ceremonies.

Mike Thomas and Elaine Giles established the Munich58 group in 2001 and have been responsible for running the supporter-led events at Old Trafford, including on the matchday closest to the anniversary and on February 6 itself.

But they have decided this year will be their last after being told by United that the club want to ‘dictate’ the content of the commemorations, which are often attended by Sir Alex Ferguson and former captains.

‘The changes they’ve suggested are a shift towards being “more United and less supporters”, and naturally this doesn’t sit well with us,’ they said in an email. ‘With such differing visions for the event, the only dignified option for us was to step back from our role.’

Manchester United paid tribute to victims of the Munich Air Disaster at Old Trafford on Sunday

Manchester United paid tribute to victims of the Munich Air Disaster at Old Trafford on Sunday 

Ruben Amorim's side were beaten 2-0 by Crystal Palace, their 11th loss of the season so far

Ruben Amorim’s side were beaten 2-0 by Crystal Palace, their 11th loss of the season so far

Sources say a recent meeting between the club and Munich58 was amicable, and Thomas and Giles were offered a role in the planning but were ready to step aside.

Anger over OT queues

There was frustration among hundreds of fans who were queueing outside the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand for some time after Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace had kicked off.

The lines for turnstiles in the Munich Tunnel stretched back behind the Stretford End as fans waited for security checks so they could get into Old Trafford. United have warned supporters to arrive at least 20 minutes early, and that anyone turning up less than a quarter of an hour before kick-off risks missing the start of the game.

The club say it is a challenge to balance security checks and maintain a steady flow of fans through turnstiles, and that there are only a small number of ‘problem’ entry points caused by late arrivals.

But one fan told Confidential: ‘I got there 40 minutes before kick-off and I was queueing with other supporters who had been there an hour. Some wanted to get inside to see the new signings (Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven) unveiled and others wanted to be there for the Munich tribute. Luckily the weather wasn’t too bad and the fans were very respectful, especially because of Munich.’

Utd stand strong over Malacia

United hope the collapse of Tyrell Malacia’s loan to Benfica will send out a message to other clubs looking to sign their players.

Talks with the Portuguese club were at an advanced stage, but United refused to roll over by accepting a low-ball offer from Benfica who switched to a cheaper option in Roma’s Samuel Dahl.

United haven’t always driven the hardest bargain for their players, but it’s hoped that the stance over Malacia is a sign of a tougher approach. The defender is now set to return to the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven for the rest of the season and is undergoing a medical today before the transfer window closes there.

Tyrell Malacia's proposed loan to Benfica collapsed ahead of the close of the January window

Tyrell Malacia’s proposed loan to Benfica collapsed ahead of the close of the January window

The Red Devils hope it will send a message to other clubs who are looking to sign their players

The Red Devils hope it will send a message to other clubs who are looking to sign their players

Italians want to poach Biancheri

Como’s deadline day approach for 18-year-old Manchester United starlet Gabriele Biancheri certainly raised eyebrows in more ways than one. 

The offer was rejected – United have no desire to lose one of their most promising young players – but the identity of the club caught the eye in industry circles.

Biancheri has been representing Wales at youth level but he remains eligible to play for Italy, something that has not been lost on officials at the Italian FA.

Como’s approach to try and prise the youngster out of England felt like a not-so-subtle facilitator in trying to convince him to switch his national team allegiance.

Biancheri is said to be happy in the Wales set-up and has no desire to make the switch. But now that he is on the radar of Serie A clubs, expect the pressure to intensify.

Wi-Fi outage causes sparks chaos 

A number of reporters who made the 2,000-mile trip to Romania for United’s win over Steaua Bucharest last week ended up watching the second half of the Europa League tie on a television in the press room because the Wi-Fi failed in the Arena Nationala and there were no screens to view replays.

Faced with looming deadlines for a game that kicked off at 10pm local time, some journalists reluctantly decided to vacate their seats at half-time and go in search of better facilities. Not ideal when they had travelled so far – several via connections in other European cities – to cover the game.

Rashford spot on for Gabriel

It was interesting to see 14-year-old JJ Gabriel shed some light onto Marcus Rashford’s final days at Carrington this week.

Gabriel took to Instagram to reveal Rashford had been helping him by taking penalties

Rashford may never play for Man United again if his loan move is made permanent by Villa in the summer

Rashford has been helping develop the game of Man United’s 14-year-old starlet JJ Gabriel

The youngster thanked Rashford for taking penalties with him on Instagram (second comment)

The youngster thanked Rashford for taking penalties with him on Instagram (second comment)

Gabriel scored and bagged three assists playing two years up for the U16s and his goal came from the penalty spot.

Days later when Rashford’s loan move to Aston Villa was confirmed, Gabriel took to Instagram to reveal Rashford had been helping him by taking penalties together on one of the training pitches.

Les lands Saudi role

United’s former loans manager Les Parry hasn’t wasted any time landing a similar role with Saudi Arabian first division club Neom.

Parry left United at the end of October after 12 years at Carrington, first as elite player performance manager and then in the loans department.

He was heavily involved in Amad Diallo’s development at United as well as the careers of Dean Henderson, Alvaro Fernandez and James Garner.

Now Parry is responsible for improving the loan system at Neom to maximise the potential of their players. 

Confidential learns that he will be at Lille this evening to watch Muhanad Al-Saad, the first Saudi player to go on loan in France, play for Dunkerque in the French Cup.

Neom, who recently signed former West Ham winger Said Benrahma from Lyon for £12.5million, are currently top of the second tier and pushing for promotion to the Saudi Pro League.

United's former loans manager Les Parry was heavily involved in Amad Diallo’s development

United’s former loans manager Les Parry was heavily involved in Amad Diallo’s development

Henderson has established himself as Crystal Palace's No 1 in recent seasons

James Garner, meanwhile, is a regular for Everton at Goodison Park

He played a key role developing the careers of Dean Henderson (left) and James Garner (right)

Kids learn tragedy lesson

Work continues to educate youngsters at United and Liverpool over the Munich and Hillsborough tragedies.

United Under-13s hosted their counterparts from Merseyside for an education day before the two teams played on Sunday to coincide with the Munich memorial.

It follows the launch of a programme by the United and Liverpool foundations last year to teach their youngsters about Munich and Hillsborough as part of a drive to stamp out tragedy chanting, which has blighted the biggest fixture in English football for a number of years.

OT frustration for U18s

Manchester United’s last-16 FA Youth Cup clash with Chelsea was the last to be finalised because both sides had been keen to play it at Old Trafford.

The two teams are the most successful in competition history, and while many of the other last-16 games are being played this evening, United and Chelsea pushed it back by a week in the hope of staging it at Old Trafford.

But despite lengthy conversations between the clubs, no workaround was found and the earliest opportunity for Adam Lawrence’s side to run out at Old Trafford would now be a semi-final tie.

They will take on Chelsea on February 12 at Leigh Sports Village with the winner away to Arsenal in the quarter-finals.


Source From: Football | Mail Online

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