Jesse Lingard's proposed loan move to Newcastle is being held up by Manchester United' s insistence on a bonus payment if he helps the Magpies stay in the Premier League.
United want three criteria met before they are willing to let Lingard – who is a free agent in the summer and not particularly happy about the obstacles in place – join Newcastle on loan until the end of the season.
As well as a loan fee of around £6million, United want the Toon to cover Lingard's £100,000-a-week wages for the rest of the season, as well as a bonus payment if they stay up.
That figure is understood to be around the £12m mark, taking to the overall package demanded by United for Lingard to switch to Newcastle to around £19.6m.
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Premier League survival is worth at least £100m to Newcastle, who are currently 18th, a point from safety.
If Lingard performs as well as he did on loan at West Ham last season, when he scored nine goals, the Toon are likely to stay up.
United have factored that into their demands to Newcastle and insist they are unwilling to let Lingard go unless they are met, a stance that has angered the 29-year-old attacker.
Lingard feels he is being priced out of a move to Newcastle and is desperate to make the switch to play regularly, to boost his chances of making England's squad for the World Cup in Qatar in December.
But United are only willing to let him go if it is financially viable to them to do so and have concerns about leaving themselves short of personnel, against the backdrop of Covid and injuries.
With Anthony Martial now on loan at Sevilla until the end of the season and Donny van de Beek potentially going to Crystal Palace for the remainder of the campaign, United are reluctant to lose Lingard and potentially leave themselves short in terms of numbers.
That is why United have laid out such strict financial demands if they are to let Lingard go to St James' Park before Monday's transfer deadline, with the ball now firmly in Newcastle's court.
