Although there are some important games ahead this season for Man United, resolving contract issues with players also needs to be top of their agenda soon.
For a team so obviously on the up again under Erik ten Hag, their best players need to be tied down to longer term deals, whomever is in charge from the start of the 2023/24 campaign.
With a Carabao Cup final win already under their belt, and decent enough chances of winning both the FA Cup and Europa League, it’s clear that there have been improvements on the pitch under the Dutchman, and perhaps none more so than with Marcus Rashford.
The England international can’t stop scoring at present, with WhoScored noting that he’s netted on 19 occasions and provided four assists – as well as winning five man of the match awards – since the World Cup finished in mid-December.
To that end, it’s abundantly clear how important he’s been to the Red Devils revival this season.
However, The Athletic (subscription required) note that there hasn’t been much movement in terms of renewal of his contract.
‘United must now focus on tying one of the best players in Europe to a long-term deal before the threat of losing him rears its head again,’ they wrote.
‘There is some way to go. Initial discussions between United and Rashford’s representatives have already been held and more are planned, but there have been no major steps forward.
‘Sources on both sides insist these are early days in the process. There is a mutual understanding that this will be the biggest and most important contract of Rashford’s career.’
That has to be a worry for the club even if, as The Athletic note, negotiations are still at a relatively early stage.
The thought of Rashford moving on from the club of his life is an unpalatable one, but if there’s one thing learned over time it’s that you can never say never in football.
All it would take is a little prevarication from United’s point of view and another big club to see their chance to swoop in with a big offer to see the unthinkable occur.