Marcus Rashford is under pressure to secure his future at Manchester United, as the club considers parting ways with the forward unless he improves both his performance and professionalism.
Sky Sports News initially revealed in January that the 27-year-old clashed with INEOS leadership and their “clean culture” ethos following his third violation of former manager Erik ten Hag’s disciplinary guidelines. New manager Ruben Amorim has also expressed dissatisfaction with Rashford’s commitment during training and overall attitude, resulting in the forward’s exclusion from the squad for Sunday’s Manchester derby.
Although Alejandro Garnacho was also left out of United’s triumph at the Etihad for similar reasons, he is neither a repeat offender nor regarded as a senior player expected to lead by example.
Exclusion from the squad for the Manchester City clash appears to have had the intended impact on Rashford, prompting an improvement in his training effort and overall demeanor. The forward shared a photo of United’s celebration after Amad’s stunning winner, captioned “Yesssssssss! Love it, lads,” on social media. This gesture was seen as an acknowledgment of Amorim’s emphasis on factors like “team engagement” influencing match-day squad selections.
Amorim also expressed discontent over Rashford and midfielder Casemiro traveling to the United States during the last international break, suggesting such arrangements would have been handled “very differently” under his leadership. While Rashford’s off-field lifestyle has drawn scrutiny, his declining on-field performances have seen him fall out of favor with England, missing Euro 2024, and relegated to a fringe role at United.
Rashford has managed only seven goals in 24 appearances this season, following a disappointing eight-goal tally in 43 games last term. Despite his waning influence, his lucrative four-and-a-half-year contract signed in July 2023, worth £325,000 a week, makes a potential transfer financially complex for interested clubs. While opportunities to move exist, their appeal varies significantly.
So what’s next for Marcus Rashford?
Staying at Old Trafford and striving to regain top form appears to be the ideal path for both Rashford and United, with Amorim signaling that the opportunity remains for the forward to reclaim his spot in the first team. However, it is evident that Amorim’s tolerance has its limits, and Rashford is rapidly approaching a critical juncture in his career at the club.
Rashford could also be on his way out as early as January, despite the financial challenges United would face in offloading a high-earning player whose market value has sharply declined. This makes Rashford’s resurgence all the more critical.
The responsibility now lies with Rashford to turn things around. While selling him could provide United with the financial benefit of reinvesting a homegrown player’s transfer fee back into the squad, a rejuvenated Rashford would still be far more valuable to the club’s ambitions than his departure.
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Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
