The likely departure of Ander Herrera from Manchester United this summer has sent the club’s fans into a tizzy, eliciting reactions all across the spectrum.
Plenty are lamenting losing someone who clearly loves the club, but an equal number of fans are either happy to thank him for his services and send him on his way or accusing him of a lack of loyalty.
As a player, Herrera is one who wears his heart on his sleeve. That particular quality, along with his own talent, had many installing him as United’s next captain, ahead of more gifted players like Paul Pogba, while the way Herrera connects with supporters made him out to be someone who truly gets what it means to play for the club.
He, along with fellow Spaniards Juan Mata and David De Gea, have also professed their love for the city, and seeing them strolling around Manchester has become a common sight for fans.
And then came the last international break, and revelations that Herrera, who is out of contract this summer, is in the middle of negotiating terms with Paris Saint-Germain.
The Ligue 1 giants have reportedly offered to more than double his wages, with a new deal worth up to £200,000 a week, a wage United are not ready to match. Many fans agree with that stance, believing for all his talent and commitment, that wage is exorbitant for someone who has made only one national team appearance and would not even crack the top-20 list for midfielders in Europe.
And the fact that he’s not willing to sign a new contract at United that is worth less than what the Ligue 1 champions are offering has rubbed some the wrong way, as fans say someone who claims to love the club should take a pay cut.
The responsibility United bear in this situation shouldn’t be ignored. This is an age where letting a player enter a season with only a year left on their contract is criminal.
On top of that, reports state United never seriously engaged Herrera in extension talks until they realised there was a possibility he could leave – even after the January deadline passed allowing him to negotiate with clubs outside of England. That was the month when United signed Ashley Young, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, and Scott McTominay to new contracts, even though none were on expiring deals.
⚖ - Manchester United or PSG?
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 12, 2019
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says contract talks between midfielder Ander Herrera and the club are still ongoing, despite the midfielder holding talks with the French champions: https://t.co/jZifBGOS52 pic.twitter.com/ojvXF1S62h
So the question arises: is Herrera being disloyal?
The sheer scale of numbers in football distort this conversation. United’s reported offer of £150,000 per week is double his current wage, and the sort of salary most of the fans offering their opinions on Twitter can’t even dream of. Their opinion that Herrera should be satisfied with that offer, and take it, is understandable given that perspective.
But in what other profession would people expect an employee to choose a 100-per-cent wage hike over a 167-per-cent raise? There aren’t many people who “love” their employers enough to turn down that sort of extra money.
It’s hard to accept that Herrera can love United, perhaps even kiss the badge – common trigger for fans – at his next appearance, and still not take an offer that works out to £600,000 per month.
Yet when he sees the money everyone else is making at United, Alexis Sanchez, a more talented player but one whose performance level has been far below that of Herrera, while earning a reported £400,000 per week, the midfielder is entitled to wonder if he’s being paid what he’s worth. Especially when there’s another club offering significantly more.
Why should Herrera take the same deal that players who haven’t been as consistent as he has have been offered? Should he really be earning a similar wage to Smalling and Jones – another United mistake, as the mismanagement of the wage structure has been laid bare? Especially when he turns 30 this summer, and this could be the last big contract negotiation of his career?
#MUFC offered Ander Herrera huge pay rise with 4-year contract worth over £200,000 a week. PSG offered him more money, and he chose them. #MUFC wanted to keep him, but not prepared to go up to £300,000 a week for squad player turning 30 soon. It is Herrera's decision to leave
— Sam Pilger (@sampilger) April 12, 2019
Herrera is leaving. (Most likely.) He’s also been a committed, passionate player who has proved his love for United.
Those statements may seem contradictory and incompatible, but that’s the truth of modern football: a player can be loyal to a club and still decide not to stay.
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