TEAMtalk have been told that the major interested parties in buying Manchester United, along with the Glazer family, are all on the same page when it comes to extending the contract of Marcus Rashford, although the player himself is still hedging his bets over his long-term his future.

The England forward has been in sensational form this season, scoring 24 goals in just 37 games for a Red Devils side that is currently thriving under the leadership of Erik ten Hag.

United are currently five points off leaders Arsenal in the race for the Premier League title and are also in the last 16 of the Europa League after beating Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate on Thursday evening.

And, despite talk of a potential switch to French giants PSG, trusted reporter Ben Jacobs has told us that extending Rashford’s deal is a priority for the Glazers and the two major bidders to take over the club in Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos.

Indeed, all three have spoken about the 25-year-old’s current contract status and the importance of getting a deal done.

And Jacobs told us: “Manchester United are intent on keeping Rashford and Rashford is loving life under Eric ten Hag. So contract talks to extend beyond 2024 have begun and will continue between now and the end of the season.

“I think that Manchester United’s focus is on qualifying for Champions League and ending the season strong. So it will be towards or at the end of the season when the actual significant talks to try and get something locked in will happen rather than imminently right now.”

New owners have no bearing over Rashford deal 

From Rashford‘s perspective, he is delighted to see the direction the club is heading in, despite the takeover uncertainty.

And Jaocos adds that everything is gearing towards getting that deal done, admitting: “Everything is heading in the direction that Marcus Rushford and Manchester United will agree a new long-term deal, because Rashford doesn’t want to leave United with the project heading in this direction and suddenly there appears stability on the football side success on the football side.

“And let’s not forget that there’s going to very possibly be a new Manchester United owner or investor coming in as well.

“So it’s all in Manchester United’s control. And what keeps it in their control is also the fact that regardless of any possible new owner, United have budgeted to extend Rashford under the Glazers, so they don’t have to wait and see who comes into the club, in order to tie Rashford down.

“They can be working on this, even if a new ownership group or investor is delayed in terms of when they and their money come into the football club.

“And on top of that every single group that I talked to that is in the running for Manchester United, particularly the two public ones Sheikh Jassim of Qatar and Sir Jim Ratcliffe of Ineos, sources close to both groups make it clear that keeping Rashford is pretty much as far as in house priorities, their number one priority.

“So everyone’s on the same page here, the Glazers, Erik ten Hag and prospective new owners. They all want to tie Rashford down.”

Rashford holding all the cards over new deal

As far as Rashford is concerned, he just has to keep doing what he is doing and the money will come to him.

The Red Devils star has been virtually unstoppable all season long. But particularly since returning from the World Cup.

And Jacobs adds that Rashford is ready to just hold out for the best deal possible, as long as clauses are in place that give him a route out if required.

He added: “From Rashford ‘s point of view, I don’t think that he, from what I understand, has a particular desire now to leave Manchester United.

“The Rashford perspective will obviously just be to get the best possible deal on the right terms, and possibly some kind of clauses, allowing him to leave within a long-term deal, if the project does change direction, and that’s very normal for a top player to want things like a lack of Champions League exit clause, because Rashford isn’t 21, he’s 25.

“So if he signs let’s just say a four or five-year deal, then if he’s in red hot form, and Manchester United aren’t two, three years down the line, he could still have another big move. And, therefore, a lot of this will be about Rashford, pushing for terms, both financially but also flexible terms that allow him to extend his stay at Manchester United, but still have that ability to look elsewhere in the future.”

United are back in action on Sunday when they face Newcastle at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final.

READ MORE: Fabrizio Romano provides big update on Man Utd striker pursuit with new club ‘heavily interested’ in Ten Hag objective

The article Man Utd exclusive: Rashford hedging his bets over new contract clause as Glazers, Sheikh Jassim, Ineos all agree on eventual outcome appeared first on Teamtalk.com.