🧾💰#MUFC changed the structure of new contracts and renewals after the summer of 2023.

Instead of an automatic 25% wage increase for Champions League qualification, players on newer deals must have played at least 60% of the previous season’s minutes to trigger the bonus.… pic.twitter.com/4kFX8PoPAv

— Stretford Paddock (@StretfordPaddck) August 6, 2026

Back on the wage discussion. Rashford is getting an automatic 25% pay increase because United made the CL. Holy crap.

Well, his response would probably be that he's the only one who won a title while competing in the Champions League last year.

Showstopper said:

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Well, his response would probably be that he's the only one who won a title while competing in the Champions League last year.

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that just seems crazy to me that we were handing out huge contracts and also putting in clauses for automatic pay bumps of 25% for playing the champions league. i think Rashford's base wage is 300-320K pounds per week. so at minimum his base pay is going up to 375K maybe over 400k per week.

but even if we don't single out Rashford, lets say the average wage for the starting 11 was 200K a week. Just making the champions league means United were paying 2.75mm a week.

His contract doesn't go up from 325kpw, it goes back to 325kpw. We were the ones that would brief the value back then, and it included the Champions League bonus because we liked bragging about how much we paid.

Crazy or not, automatic wage increases/decreases (w/o minutes played conditions) based on whether a club is playing in CL, promoted, etc. are not unique to United. Not saying it's smart, but United aren't the only club doing it.

Dre_00 said:

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Crazy or not, automatic wage increases/decreases (w/o minutes played conditions) based on whether a club is playing in CL, promoted, etc. are not unique to United. Not saying it's smart, but United aren't the only club doing it.

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It's very standard. More games to play, more you get paid.

And I don't want to pretend his wages aren't an issue; they definitely are. We are paying him roughly 17M GBP this year to probably be a backup/squad player, when you could pay another squad player probably 5M-8M. And it's all this year, so straight cash essentially. Like if we could sell in January for 30M we'd probably do it if we could find a decent replacement because we'll have the same problem next year, except after that following year he leaves for free. So we really need a solution, but it seems like one isn't happening now, so what can you do really.

This Rodri to Barca thing is rolling fast; all the RM midfielders could be staying put after all (and it wasn't super-sure even if he went there).

Too bad Barcelona didn't have any money…. lol. They are like a panhandler wearing a Rolex.

🚨🔵🔴 Barcelona have fully agreed on personal terms with Rodri after contract proposal sent to his agent.

Negotiations club to club to follow with Man City to advance on transfer fee and get the deal done ASAP.

🎥➕ https://t.co/qAhLqKiRBL pic.twitter.com/b5wwycM1hF

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 6, 2026

"We just need to pull a financial lever. And sell our 2037-38 media rights"

Showstopper said:

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This Rodri to Barca thing is rolling fast; all the RM midfielders could be staying put after all (and it wasn't super-sure even if he went there).

Too bad Barcelona didn't have any money…. lol. They are like a panhandler wearing a Rolex.

🚨🔵🔴 Barcelona have fully agreed on personal terms with Rodri after contract proposal sent to his agent.

Negotiations club to club to follow with Man City to advance on transfer fee and get the deal done ASAP.

🎥➕ https://t.co/qAhLqKiRBL pic.twitter.com/b5wwycM1hF

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 6, 2026

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I honestly thought this was Rodri's agent trying to get RM to pony up. Barca swooping in has to rankle Perez and the Madridistas. On one hand, I'm ecstatic he's leaving City , but i was really hoping a move to RM could pry Tchouameni or Camavinga loose

You know what time it is? Time for the annual Frenkie de Jong to United rumors!!!

I kid, I kid (I think lol).

EDIT: I did a news search just in case; FDJ has an MCL tear from the World Cup and is out at least two months from then (and that's assuming he's able to rehabilitate without surgery, which it is possible he may need surgery which would push it out to at least 4-5 months); I would strongly hope that we wouldn't pursue a 29 year old with a pretty big current injury that has already rejected us multiple times just to help out our good friends Barcelona.

I simply don't understand how Barca continue to sign top players. they are mortgaged to the literal hilt. Pulling the too big to fail levers.

Well, their opening bid was pretty low, so wait and see I suppose.

🚨 Barcelona offer Manchester City ~€45m + add-ons to sign Rodri. #MCFC regard as nowhere near level needed to negotiate sale + insist no meaningful talks taking place as bid considered serious yet to be made. #FCBarcelona know price ~€80m @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/gTLT673NDS

— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 7, 2026

🚨EXCL: Understand there is tension inside #MUFC boardroom, with senior figures in conflict over transfer strategy and direction. The decision‑makers and the recruitment dept are NOT aligned + there is growing tension as certain execs are facing pressure from peers + ownership.

— Marcó Alcaraz (@MarcoAlcaraz_) August 7, 2026

Who is Marco Alcaraz?

Furlock Bones said:

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🚨EXCL: Understand there is tension inside #MUFC boardroom, with senior figures in conflict over transfer strategy and direction. The decision‑makers and the recruitment dept are NOT aligned + there is growing tension as certain execs are facing pressure from peers + ownership.

— Marcó Alcaraz (@MarcoAlcaraz_) August 7, 2026

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I am going to need more than a random person's twitter to believe this. Leadership has been very tight lipped and in alignment until now.

Showstopper said:

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Who is Marco Alcaraz?

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I don't know. But several folks are reporting that the rumors out of United are that they can't sign much more because of Rashford's wages. Good god I hope this is a smokescreen from the front office.

I mean, if you guys want me to start bringing Indykaila tweets here, I can if we just want to rope in random stuff from X that may or may not be true lol. (I do follow him just because I think his tweets are funny).

Showstopper said:

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I mean, if you guys want me to start bringing Indykaila tweets here, I can if we just want to rope in random stuff from X that may or may not be true lol. (I do follow him just because I think his tweets are funny).

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Nope I ignore idiots like Goldbridge because he's figured being the Stephen A Smith/ Skip Bayliss of the United world pays his bills.

I'm just putting out there one of several tweets that shown up.

Like I said, I pray this is all a smokescreen.

This transfer window has been really frustrating but I saw a post, which I can't find now, that said, United's spending ability actually went down bc they made the UCL? Bc UEFA has a 70% spend rule, compared to the FA which is 85%? Something like that. Just wild that a club as big and valuable like United can get hamstrung like that bc of some relatively poor financial choices/signings

Not sure if anyone has any more knowledge about it could shed some light. Bc I know the simple answer is Rashford and his wages seemingly are killing potential deals but I'm sure it's far more complicated than that

Our problem isn't the spending limits; our problem is that our actual cash reserves are low. As that one character in the Popeye cartoons said, "We would gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger (or transfer) today."

Jim never had the money for this endeavor. So the only way through is by cutting a bunch of costs and try and generate more revenue. Not easy to do at a winning level in this league.

He is minority owner. The Glazers don't seem to want to dilute their equity in exchange for putting more money in the club. Maybe he isn't interested either, I don't know, but if they wanted to further dilute their equity there would probably be a taker.

Put another way: anyone can send money in exchange for nothing if they really want to, but that's not going to happen here in the real world.

Mount injured in the 20th minute against PSG. Yet another reason to bring back in a 3rd midfielder this summer.

Dre_00 said:

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Mount injured in the 20th minute against PSG. Yet another reason to bring back in a 3rd midfielder this summer.

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We need both but at least we have three other midfielders for the double pivot. We have ONE left back and his name is Luke Shaw. I know you want Dorgu to also be a left back, but do you know how many minutes Carrick has played Dorgu at left back since he became manager (including even pre-season)?

Let me add them up real quick…..

Hmmm…..

Zero.

I like Dorgu's pace at LB but worry about his defensive mind

When did I say I want Dorgu to be a left back?

Carrick post game comments suggest the Mount sub was a precaution. Mount was apparently walking fine after the match. Maybe he's fine but...in the same way I will never be confident in Shaw's fitness, I'll also never be confident in Mount's either.

It seemed like you thought the third midfield signing was more urgent than the left back because Dorgu could play left back.

I'm getting increasingly worried we don't get both a left back and a midfielder; I thought surely something would happen this week… but nothing. The left back situation is a huge problem to me because there's just no way Luke Shaw is healthy two full seasons… and Amass is almost certainly going on loan. So WTF United?

Was it ten Hag's second year where Malacia was the left back backup who got hurt (and ended up being out basically most of the rest of his time at United), and we almost got Cucurella on loan (looked like he was on his way out of Chelsea at the time) but that fell through, and we ended up settling for Reguilon on loan from Spurs as the best we could find at the end of the window?

Worried we are headed to something like that again.

Nah, just trying to game out what might happen based on the current state of the roster.

Rashford is now number 14. Traveling with team. Will stay unless a surprise big bid comes in.

Maybe it's just me but I don't see the crazy massive contracts being handed out this year. Spurs did but I think they overpaid to get out of 17th. Part of it is that RM and Barca are effectively broke (or mortgaged/leveraged to the max). But even City has been somewhat restrained, at least for them compared to the past.

Are we stuck with Rashford? I kind of think so. Hopefully Carrick being the anti Erik tenAmorim will make this work.