Will Manchester United sell Marcus Rashford? Why finding a buyer for the 27-year-old will be a challenge

He’s an elite earner who was once an elite player, a big name in his late 20s who has proven to be a game-changing talent at his best. He is an iconic player at one of the biggest clubs in the world, but he is increasingly drawing the ire of his coaches. If this had been two years ago, Manchester United would have been over Marcus Rashford. One more 27 year old and we’re back.

The only fly in the ointment is that the team is trying to shake up their reputation as the dumb money now trying to move one of their highest-paid players. According to sources with knowledge of the situation, United would be open to offers for Rashford as early as January. The 27-year-old has struggled for form since signing a contract worth more than $400,000-a-week and has managed just nine top-flight goals and three assists since the start of the 2023/24 season.

With Rashford’s contract not set to expire until 2028, United are on the hook for more than $75 million. There are compelling arguments that this is the worst contract in the Premier League.

United wouldn’t expect the kind of fee they could have gotten for Rashford in his prime. Given that any transfer fee they receive would be recorded as pure profit under the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), there is a compelling argument for severing ties. with a player who joined the club at the age of seven. In the years since, there have been many impressive moments and outstanding seasons, perhaps the best of which is the 30 goals he scored in all competitions in 2022-2023, which put United in the top three and secured victory in the EFL Cup.

In the years since, however, that campaign has come to look very much like a blip for a striker who simply isn’t scoring goals equivalent to a top 10 salary in the Premier League. The youngster who seemed on his way to superstardom under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been one of many players to have lost their way at Old Trafford.

Rashford’s woes

Premier League, per 90 minutes

Playing form isn’t the only problem Rashford has had to deal with. Disciplinary issues have cropped up more than once, whether it was Erik ten Hag dropping him off after a late-night party in Belfast, or the vaguer explanations given by Ruben Amorim for the absence of Alejandro Garnacho and his number 10 in the 2-1 from Sunday. victory over Manchester City. “It’s important the performance in training,” said the head coach, “the performance in matches, the way you dress, the way you eat, the way you interact with your teammates, the way you push your teammates. ” Both are set to take on Tottenham in the EFL Cup on Thursday, but apparently they haven’t made the best first impression on their new boss.

So there you have it, a 27-year-old whose off-field behavior has come under scrutiny, while his form has fallen to too low a level for his salary.

Can United find a new home for Rashford?

Are there any takers? The Premier League has enough clubs to match his wages, but United’s big rivals Manchester City and Liverpool are non-starters for obvious reasons. Tottenham doesn’t have a player making more than $300,000 a week, let alone $400,000. The closest to Rashford’s salary is Heung-Min Son, who occupies the same position on the pitch, but better and cheaper. Chelsea have made 22 permanent transfers over the last two summer windows, none as old as 27. Arsenal? There is an argument that they need to upgrade their offense. There’s not much that would make Rashford do that.

Then you end up with teams that would almost certainly have to ask Rashford to take a pay cut to play at a level that he may not consider good for him. It’s hard to see him in a West Ham shirt, for example.

On the continent, there is already a huge supply of left-wing attackers at Real Madrid and very little money at Barcelona or any Serie A club. That makes for slim choices. Bayern Munich, headlined by Harry Kane, have proven they are not averse to paying big money for veteran English talent, but would favor Vincent Kompany Rashford in a position where he already uses Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane and Mathys Tel? Paris Saint-Germain have always been the club most often linked with Rashford’s services, and for a long time it almost made sense for them to sign Manchester United’s brightest star. That doesn’t seem to be the case as they attract the best young talent from the French capital and beyond.

So let’s hear the refrain that has become so familiar in the transfer market since the summer of 2023: what about the Pro League in Saudi Arabia? A wise man would tend not to try to predict too far in advance what might happen to Saudi Arabian football, especially as the sport’s eyes turn to hosting the 2036 World Cup.

There is still an appetite for stars at the clubs owned by the sovereign wealth fund PIF. Likewise, there are currently no roster spots available in the Pro League for international players over the age of 21, and it’s worth noting that the likes of Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are already investing heavily in youngsters like Angelo Gabriel and Marcos Leonardo. -Regarded Brazilians who they think can grow with the competition. Their long-term priorities could change when the owners request their list of targets for the summer of 2025, but it is difficult to imagine Rashford being top of their list.

Likewise, in the MLS, many contingent factors would have to break appropriately for a meaningful move. Is there any club that can afford the wages and face-saving transfer fee for Manchester United while offering Rashford an attractive lifestyle proposition? Look, I’m not CBS’ MLS guy. I asked him. In return, he asked if Marcus Rashford would like Kansas City in August.

Of course, it only takes one club to strike a deal for Rashford, a lone player confident their coaching can unlock the 2022-2023 player on a regular basis. That should be a blessed relief for United. Finding many more suitors for this player on that contract would be a huge struggle.