Premier League 2018-19: 3 things Manchester United need to do in their 'rebuild' process

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

#2 Resolving the contract issues

David de Gea is mulling over his future after stalling contract talks.
David de Gea is mulling over his future after stalling contract talks.

Manchester United are struggling to tie their stars to a new contract. The negotiations are stalled because of high wage demands from the players; Ander Herrera and Juan Mata and several others have postponed the agreement talks.

Alexis Sanchez agreed a weekly wage of £400,000 and bonuses worth £75,000 when he arrived at United, making him Premier League's highest paid player. Ed Woodward, chief executive of the club, is regretting the decision to pay such a ridiculous amount for the Chilean, which has botched up the wage system.

Tying down the players to lucrative deals is taking its toll on the financial structure of United. All the players due for renewal are demanding higher wages. Such a distorted wage structure has allowed players to veto the salary offered to them.

Addition of performance-metered clauses in the contracts of players, such as finishing in top-four or having a Cup run, could prove to be a decent step forward. These targets should be completed in order to earn a full salary and lucrative bonuses.

Split fee system will provide an extra incentive to the players and abolish the complacency prevalent within the squad.

The management should also analyse the players they are offering the contracts. Recently, Phil Jones signed a four-year extension. That was not a smart decision, given his inconsistent performances and record of injuries.

Similarly, Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo signed new agreements last season.

Solskjaer and the board members should tighten up their methods of choosing the right players to take this club forward. Some bold decisions should be made in order to build a world-class squad.

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