Marcus Rashford has a major decision to make over his Manchester United future this summer.
The 26-year-old has struggled badly at Old Trafford this season with just eight goals across all competitions after netting 30 times in 2022/23. Rashford is not the only underperformer in Erik ten Hag’s squad, but after last season’s impressive performances, his struggles mean the spotlight has been shone on him.
Rashford has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-German for some time and the news that Kylian Mbappe will depart PSG is only going to create more speculation. The England international’s performances this season though are unlikely to create the same sort of clamour for him.
But scenes at Old Trafford last night involving a fan abusing Rashford during the warm-up are not going to increase the forward’s chances of staying in Manchester. Sure, he could use an incident like that to drive him on and give him more motivation to prove his critics wrong.
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However, being an academy graduate who plays under such intense pressure and scrutiny would weigh anyone down. After almost a decade in United’s first team, it would be no surprise if Rashford decides that he has had enough.
United’s fans are generally split on the forward with some questioning his work ethic whilst others believe his ability makes him an unsellable. Both opinions are valid but the abuse directed at him online and in the stadium, albeit from a minority of supporters, crossed the line.
A sale this summer of course could benefit both parties. United must be wary of their Financial Fair Play (FFP) position and selling a homegrown player like Rashford for big money would boost this due to him representing pure profit.
Provided he does not join a Premier League rival, then most fans would accept that the club’s top goalscorer from last season may need a fresh start, especially if United get a healthy fee in return.
Very few people will know if United’s final two games of a difficult season will also be Rashford’s last in a Red Devils shirt. But if he is still considering what to do next, then what happened at Old Trafford last night may prove decisive.