Manchester United are refusing to bow to Ander Herrera’s wage demands, despite the growing threat of the Spain midfielder leaving on a free transfer for Paris St-Germain this summer.
United want Herrera to stay and believe their desire to keep him is reflected in the offer of a new three-year contract that represents a huge hike on his existing £80,000-a-week wages.
But Herrera, 29, is understood to be demanding in excess of £200,000 a week, amid interest from PSG, and United are unwilling to be held to ransom.
Herrera is reported to have agreed a pre-contract with the French champions but, while his preference has been to stay at United, either he or the club are likely to have to make compromises to end the current impasse and for him to remain at Old Trafford.
Herrera has enjoyed a renaissance under new manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and become a regular midfield starter.
But he has only featured in United’s list of top 10 league starters once in his five seasons for the club and has mainly been a squad player at Old Trafford.
Alexis Sanchez’s £500,000-a-week wages have raised the salary ceiling at Old Trafford but Herrera’s wage demands would catapult him into the top bracket of earners alongside the likes of goalkeeper David De Gea, midfielder Paul Pogba and striker Romelu Lukaku.
De Gea is involved in a contract stand-off of his own, with the Spaniard demanding double his existing £240,000-a-week wages as he seeks parity with Sanchez.
United are aware of the rise of players running down their contracts. Emre Can left Liverpool for Juventus on a free transfer last summer and Aaron Ramsey will also head to Turin as a free agent from Arsenal this summer.
Yet there is a belief among top Premier League clubs that it is much easier for some of their continental rivals to offer bigger, longer contracts to older players given that competitions such as Ligue 1 in France and Italy’s Serie A lack the intensity of the Premier League and do not take the same physical toll as England, which also has two domestic cup competitions. PSG are currently 20 points clear at the top of Ligue 1.