Rio Ferdinand has urged Marcus Rashford to push to become Manchester United's highest-paid player with his next contract.
Rashford, who has spent his entire playing career at Old Trafford, is only under contract with United until 2023 with the club holding an option to extend the deal by a year. The forward's form at the World Cup, where he has scored three of England's nine goals, has attracted plenty of attention after previous links with a move away.
The 25-year-old has returned to form at club level, while Cristiano Ronaldo - last season's top scorer and this season's top earner - has seen his contract terminated. Against that backdrop, Ferdinand has given his verdict on what needs to happen next.
"That's the first thing I asked in the studio yesterday, I text the group and said 'what's the contract situation with Marcus?'" Ferdinand told his Vibe with Five YouTube channel. "Because boy, the numbers are going up by the minute. Every goal is a nought added to the demands, Man United could be getting pushed into a corner.
"I've got to be honest, I don't know how United have let it get to this point," he added. "The only thing I'd say in defence of Man United is he was out of form massively so they was thinking is he going to get his form back but if you gamble that then this happens, he has you in a vice-like grip saying 'show me the money'.
"If I'm him, I don't even negotiate it, I say to my agent 'you ain't going in there, I know my value, I'm walking in there, sitting and saying who is the highest paid player at the club right now?' And you say put a million a year above him."
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After going 15 games without a goal in the second half of the 2021-22 season, Rashford looked far from assured of a World Cup place. However, a return to form under new Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag allowed him to force his way back in at international level.
Rashford went into the tournament off the back of eight goals for United, and netted against Iran before striking twice against Wales. His double against Rob Page's side helped England top their group, and has prompted calls for him to start the last 16 tie against Senegal.
"[At] half-time, the manager said we've played well but but we need more shots on goal - I think we only had two or three," Rashford told BBC Sport as three second-half goals gave England victory over Wales. "We wanted to work the 'keeper more and get into dangerous positions, which I thought we were doing in the first half, and in the second half we made them count.
"I fancied [a free-kick] in the first half but it was a better position for the second. I just tried to be calm and execute what you've done in training."
