Manchester United cannot repeat Bruno Fernandes decision with Marcus Rashford

Sir Alex Ferguson considered complacency a disease and Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes would have been diagnosed under previous management at Old Trafford. Fernandes was guilty of complacency after signing a new lucrative contract in April.

The appointment of Erik ten Hag was not completed and Ralf Rangnick was in interim charge of the club when Fernandes' contract extension was announced. Ten Hag was officially appointed in late May and the club should have waited until his arrival in Manchester to give Fernandes a new deal. The decision to extend his contract in April did not send the right message.

That's without mentioning he was not performing well enough for a new contract and that he had three years remaining on his previous deal. Fernandes endured a disappointing campaign last season and he markedly regressed from his usual standards.

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United's recruitment strategy has been awful over the last decade, but they also have a history of making rash contract decisions, which they can't allow to happen again with Marcus Rashford.

You must earn a new contract, not be given a new deal by default. Fernandes was always going to have his deal extended but it was done at the wrong time. It would also be wrong for the club to give Rashford a new bumper contract at this particular moment.

Although Rashford is technically in the final year of his contract, there is an option of an additional year and the Manchester Evening News understands the club intend to exercise that clause, which means his new deal would expire in the summer of 2024.

Rashford has contributed three goals and two assists this season and he's already close to surpassing his woeful