Manchester United have a number of attacking threats in their team, including homegrown talent Marcus Rashford, but could his time be coming to an end at Old Trafford under Ralf Rangnick?
What’s the story?
According to El Nacional, Barcelona have reignited their interests in the forward, with Rangnick apparently said to be interested in offers of more than £70m as he plans to nurture the development of Mason Greenwood and Jadon Sancho instead.
Reports suggest that Barca are said to be interested in tempting the 24-year-old to lead the line for the cash-strapped La Liga club.
Rashford has struggled to cement his place in the United team through injury and positional competition in the squad, with the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer only pushing Rashford further back in the pecking order.
However, with Greenwood playing well, scoring the only goal in the game against Young Boys on Wednesday, and Sancho starting to find his form, Rashford may feel that it is time to take on a new challenge with Barcelona tempting him away.
Despite the reports linking the 24-year-old with an Old Trafford exit, Rangnick hasn’t hinted with his selections so far that Rashford is not in his future plans at Manchester United, as he started the England international in the Champions League this week.
Rangnick has a decision to make
The £180k-p/w Mancunian is understandably a fan favourite on and off pitch, with his work in the communities helping those in poverty during the pandemic and being a product of the Manchester United system, it would definitely be a tough call to let go of such an asset to the club and the fans.
It could leave fans fuming if the decision was made to sell the 24-year-old to Barcelona, as Rashford has delivered many clinical performances in his time at Manchester United, with 91 goals and 57 assists for the Red Devils despite his relatively young age.
However, Rangnick does have a dilemma as the forward line is already overcrowded, and unless he intends to rotate every single week, that might not be enough to make Rashford stay at his hometown club. Not only could it hinder his development at club level, but could ruin his chances to prove to Gareth Southgate that he is worthy of a place on the plane to the World Cup in Qatar this time next year.
The England forward might possibly be tempted by a move to Barcelona, especially if he fails to get regular game-time at Old Trafford, but don’t expect him to go without some backlash from the fanbase. Also, given Rashford’s proven track record, letting him leave could turn out to be a howler from the club’s new interim manager.
In other news: Time is up at Old Trafford for this man despite Rangnick’s arrival