Ten Hag urged to ditch rule that ‘won’t work’ and may impact Rashford

Ten Hag comments as Man Utd reach Carabao Cup final

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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has been urged to perform a dramatic U-turn on his reported ‘Ronaldo rule’. The Dutchman has introduced a contract limit in his squad as he continues to restore the club’s culture, but Gabby Agbonlahor doubts it will work.

United are in hot water with Financial Fair Play after years of spending big while struggling to balance the books by selling players.

And the club’s latest annual wage bill was worth around £228million, the highest in the Premier League, contributing to the problem.

But Ten Hag and United chiefs Richard Arnold and John Murtough are understood to have introduced a ‘Ronaldo rule’ after terminating Cristiano Ronaldo’s £480,000-a-week contract in November.

No Red Devils star will earn more than £200,000 per week, starting with David de Gea accepting a significant wage decrease on the £375,000 weekly salary he currently pockets.

However, Agbonlahor believes that if United want to attract the best players to Old Trafford, they will have to compete financially with the likes of Manchester City and Newcastle United.

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Speaking exclusively to Express Sport with Grosvenor Sport, he said: “The Ronaldo Clause, it’s not going to work. The money in the Premier League is only going to keep going up.

“And when you hear about what Man City players are getting, and let’s not forget Newcastle, once they start buying players, they’re going to be on £300k [per week] as well.

“If Newcastle want to go and get a player that would not likely come, they’re going to pay silly money.

“Liverpool, they’ve got Salah on £300k a week, so I just feel that that clause is not going to work at Manchester United.”

When it comes to contracts in M16, Marcus Rashford is the name on everyone’s lips amid the greatest run of form of his career so far.

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Rashford has scored 18 goals and registered seven assists in 31 games under Ten Hag this season, matching a United record by netting in nine consecutive home games.

But he is out of contract next year, and Paris Saint-Germain are among the European heavyweights circling.

Rashford already earns £200,000 per week, though, and will almost certainly expect a pay rise if he’s to commit his future to his boyhood club.

So Ten Hag may be forced to make a U-turn on the ‘Ronaldo rule’ to ensure the 24-year-old is a long-term fixture in his rebuild.

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