Marouane Fellaini Seeking Pay Rise as Manchester United Look to Agree Contract Extension

Marouane Fellaini and Manchester United are set for another round of talks as they look to thrash out a two-year contract extension for the Belgian midfielder.

Fellaini scored his fifth goal of the season on Sunday with a late headed winner against Arsenal as United moved to within one win of guaranteeing second place in the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho has said that the club and player are 'almost there' on a new contract, but the Times claims that talks are still ongoing, with disagreements over the length of the contract and extent of the pay rise.

United offered Fellaini a one-year deal, but the 30-year-old wants a two-year contract and a pay rise to £100,000 a week, up from his current deal of £80,000 a week.

Turkish pair Galatasaray and Besiktas, and some clubs in the Chinese Super League, are reportedly keen on Fellaini, but Mourinho is confident that he will stay at Old Trafford beyond the end of this season.

“I believe he will stay,” Mourinho said. “He’s a good player and he can be used in many different circumstances, according to the nature of the game.”

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Fellaini came off the bench on Sunday, replacing Jesse Lingard in a move that many United fans were displeased with. The Belgian headed against the post when he should have scored but made amends in injury time as he rose to power a header past David Ospina.

It was his first goal of this calendar year, although he has played less than 180 minutes of Premier League football in 2018 due to a recurring knee injury.