According to rumors, Manchester United is willing to defy Erik ten Hag’s rigid “Cristiano Ronaldo Rule” in order to sign Harry Kane.Matt Law of the Telegraph reported on Monday that United have started looking into what it would take to recruit Kane in the summer.
In fact, there is allegedly a growing anticipation that the striker won’t agree to a new deal with Tottenham Hotspur this summer.United also intends to make a bid for Kane; due diligence has already started over his asking price and how to approach negotiations with Daniel Levy.
The Sun has claimed United are ready to make Kane one of the club’s highest-paid earners by offering him an eye-watering £300,000-a-week deal to move to Old Trafford.United have also allegedly offered to raise Marcus Rashford’s salary to the same figure, as they look to tie the 25-year-old to a new long-term deal.
Ten Hag’s ‘Ronaldo Rule
Should Kane and Rashford sign a contract worth the reported £300,000, United would be breaking an alleged policy concerning player contracts.Indeed, the ‘Ronaldo Rule’ is a term used to describe a transfer policy that was reportedly enacted at United in early 2023, to ensure nobody inside the club’s dressing room is paid significantly more than their teammates.According to the Mail, United players’ salaries will be capped at £200,000 a week – or around £10.4 million a year.Moreover, players who are on a deal over that figure will be offered fresh terms to bring them down to the cap level.
In the past, United have regularly offered big-money contracts to marquee players, with Ronaldo being the most recent example.The five-time Balon d’Or winner, who acrimoniously left United in November, was allegedly on £385,000 a week in his second spell at the club.The ‘Ronaldo Rule’ was thought to have been implemented to help limit overspending on playing talent, while it also gives a degree of certainty in negotiations for both the club and players.
By enacting the salary cap United would be seeking to reduce their wage first and foremost, but the potential benefits could extend to a mood in the dressing room, with a sense of equitability being fostered among the team’s high earners.
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