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Why Man Utd are struggling to tie up TWO deals - it involves Alexis Sanchez
MANCHESTER UNITED are struggling to agree contract extensions with Ander Herrera and Juan Mata because they are using Alexis Sanchez’s wage as a bargaining chip in negotiations, it has been reported.
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Herrera and Mata’s deals both expire at the end of June but are causing headaches for Manchester United executives.
The Spaniards both joined in 2014 and have established themselves as well-liked players at the club.
Mata, who arrived as the club’s record signing in January that year, has never rediscovered the form which made him Chelsea’s two-time Player of the Year, however.
Herrera, on the other hand, is a regular starter in midfield and usually trusted in big games, and has garnered interest from Paris Saint-Germain.
Both players’ representatives are asking for “exorbitant wages”, however, according to The Mirror, as they make their cases for substantial pay rises.
United are currently unwilling to appease their demands, though, which has led to an impasse in talks.
Sources at the club have suggested that Herrera wants to double his weekly £120,000, becoming one of the highest-paid players in the squad.
Mata is not expecting such a hike but desires a significant increase on his £140,000-a-week wage, nevertheless.
United white-collars are facing issues in contract negotiations with senior players after rewarding Sanchez a £500,000-a-week deal, including bonuses and image rights, in January 2018.
The Chilean’s poor performances during his stay has caused disharmony among some members of the dressing room, who feel they are comparatively not being paid their worth.
United do want their Spanish duo to stay but are reiterating that both players must lower their financial demands before negotiations can progress.
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If extensions cannot be agreed, the Old Trafford club are expected to dip into the transfer market this summer with one or two marquee signings, despite acquiring Fred for £50m in the last off-season.
David de Gea is another player using Sanchez’s wage to his advantage in talks, and is holding out to match the forward’s income with a new deal.
The goalkeeper had a one-year extension triggered in November which gives United until next June to agree a new, lucrative, long-term deal.