The Mirror reports ;that Tom Cleverley is negotiations with the club over a new five-year contract that will net the midfielder up to £80,000 per week. If signed, the new deal will be the second contract offered to the 23-year-old in little more than a year, earning Cleverley around £20 million over the deal’s lifetime. It represents an eight-fold increase in wages in around 18 months; by any stretch, spectacular financial progress.
Cleverley has become a regular in Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United side over the past two seasons – injury permitting – and scored a spectacular goal at St. James’ Park last weekend. The midfielder has also become a fixture in Roy Hodgson’s England team, starting against Sam Marino at Wembley on Friday night.
Yet, with just 21 games played for the club – 15 starts – ;and two goals scored, the England international is still in the very early stages of his Old Trafford career. Farmed out to Leicester City, Watford and then Wigan Athletic, Cleverley still has much to prove at the highest level. ;In reality the ;Basingstoke-born player still has much to prove too, being, for example, just two year’s younger than Lionel Messi and vastly less experienced.
[poll id=”81″]
Injury-free then yes
Out of interest what’s your view Ed?
Andrew – I think it’s too much, too soon. He only signed a new deal last year so what’s the rush. He’s not out of contract for a while yet. More worrying – what kind of advisers does he have that seek another new contract after just over 20 games with the club? Seems to me that Brand Clevz is running ahead of player Clevz.
Definitely not. At least not yet, I think he needs to cement a starting spot in our team first (Which I do see him doing soon), stay injury free, and do something of worth at the club.
If he is to be Scholes’s replacement (Which I see him as), he will have to up his game. I don’t think he’s helped by SAF constantly pushing that back though. I feel Cleverley was bought into the first team waaaaay too late, and bringing back Scholes doesn’t help.
Why is Messi even mentioned in this article. Baffling.
Tom – not really – because Cleverley may be about to sign a £4m-a-year contract and has achieved very very little. Yet he’s no longer really a youngster. 15 starts for United and he’s onto his third contract.
Financially it makes more sense to tie him to 80k a week now to be honest. If he fulfills his potential and becomes a first 11 player for united weekly, other teams will come knocking with big contracts. 80k a week for a player of his ability is understandable. Tie him in now or risk having to fork out 120k in 2/3 years time.
Dave – his team will ask for £120k/wk anyway
Yep fair point Ed,
80K is a lot but maybe the view is that he’s on the cusp and better to give him a bump up now than have to give even more in a year’s time – or risk him agitating for a move away e.g. Pogba.
Be interested to know benchmarks ie who else is on 80K….think Anderson is on something in that ball park and he is so far potential unfulfilled…
Lets hope that brand tclevz23.com/bollocks fulfills his talent
works quite hard, gives and goes quiet well, supports the attack alright, quiet good at everything but nothing special
but we clearly play better when hes in the team, although is that because hes that good or because when hes not there a couple of 40 year olds usually are
the latter
the latter
I think it just shows us we have to do more than just be Manchester United to hold onto our emerging talent nowadays, which is either a display of teams improving around the world, or more likely that money makes the mouth water more than pride in this younger generation. So with that being said, I suppose it is worth it to hang onto him and keep his interests here, but worrying if that’s the reason as somebody will inevitably offer him more than we can one day assuming he reaches his potential and not the hospital.
It could also be a clever bit of business by the club, I’m not sure when the original contract expired but maybe they see serious potential in him and know if they were to offer him a new one when that expired it’d be a massive salary so they’re trying to keep him below superstar wages as long as they can. I’m not sure, football is becoming a funny old business.
I’d like to see the club play hard ball on this one; tell him to wait until next summer. If he doesn’t like that tough, he’s under contract for a few more years we’re in no need to sell.
I can’t believe how many people said yes… what’s he done to earn it?
Stay fit, train hard, hold your place in the team and prove your worth it… then maybe… but right now he’s only a few games into his first bloody season actually playing regularly… ridiculous to even consider it.
Anyway… I want to see more of Powell.
“Badges, to god-damned hell with badges! We have no badges. In fact, we don’t need badges. I don’t have to show you any stinking badges, you god-damned cabrón and ching’ tu madre! Come out from that shit-hole of yours. I have to speak to you.”
Is he worth 80k a week? Is he fook!
Seriously. have we all gone bananas? He has achieved nothing yet.
he is probably on about 40 or 50k a week as it is, so he is not going to go hungry for the forseeable.
I am not one to begrudge top players whatever they earn, after all nobody gives a shit that, for example, Robbie Williams can earn 1 million for one nights works and then spunk it away on drugs AND be hailed as a great guy.
No, the very best should be paid the best, no problem with that.
Tom Cleverly has the potential to be among the best but come back in 2 years Tom and we’ll assess your progress.
This is one of those “VOTE” polls that never really provide the choices you would like. Many of the comment state things like, if he stays healthy – yes, let him play another years first – no. Cleverley has shown some great potential but a problem with potential is that you have to pay for it before it is fulfilled and there is always the chance that it never will be.
It would be interesting to know which side initiated the contract extension, United or Brand Cleverley?
I think that’s the telltale part of the puzzle, does anybody know who initiated this contract?
Tom is a young guy wth potential n I bliv he’s a fit to replace scholes n even do better than hm bcz he’s a clean marker quick level headed n that mks hm deserv extra cash Let’s pray dt it doesn’t get into hs mohawk cut head
Why would United offer a new contract to a player after only a handful of productive games?
Bollocks… this is all Cleverly and his minders… tell them to go piss up a rope and come back end of the season… if he’s been worth it.
He is in the England team at the age of 23 and playing for Man United and 80k a week is prob near enough the going rate these days with wage inflation. Weather this is actually true and is Cleverley actually good enough are different things. He is a good player but not exactly irreplaceable.
Gary Nevlille rates him rather very highly!! I don’t really care how much he gets paid. If he keeps Scholes out of the first team that is good enough for me!!
Cue the backlash!!
Erm – do we really think the Glazers are going to fork out 80k a week if they don’t think he’s worth it?! It’s simple maths that one – they ain’t paying it to him for the hell of it are they? I agree the fact he’s only played a handful of games makes it look a bit rash – but in fairness the guy has been at the club for about 10 years and at least appears devoted to the club – unlike Rooney. He’s also never once complained at being benched for Dad’s army, or his various loan moves.
Personally speaking – Cleverley is my favorite player – he’s got the lot, quick passing, big range of passing, pressing, energy, speed of thought, and now he’s looking liking adding goals to it. No doubt you’ll have a go at me on this one – but I think he’s very much in the same class as Iniesta, and if he can avoid injury he’ll become a legend for club and country.
Also – when he did finally get back to fitness last season – Fergie chronically underused him – instead going with the usual motley crue of Park and giggs – that was a major factor in us blowing an 8 point lead in my opinion.
Cleverly = Iniesta….. hmmmm, THAT is a very big statement.
I like him, think he’s got a lot of potential, but that’s it at the minute, potential. Hope he gets a good run in the side from now on, oh and he needs to improve his finishing… massively.
hes ok at all the things clive listed and no better, iniesta ffs, hes like milner
Yes Iniesta!!! Calm down dears – Andres isn’t a god, just a footballer – its not that far fetched…
I like Cleverley. I personally think he will come good. But like i said of wellbeck in other thread, clev is not yet a finished product,
As for whether he is worth it, hard to say without a sense of how other midfielders are getting paid? How much is dembele getting?
Who cares as long as he does-the-business ?
Wtf
Not at the moment. If he can stay injury free and keep producing the performances for the rest of this season then yes, give him the contract next summer. But at the moment, he’s played less than 30 games or so, and the injury question mark still remains.