Many expected Marcus Rashford to see out his career at Manchester United, with the boyhood Red Devil banking over 400 appearances since graduating from the club’s esteemed academy.
But with INEOS reportedly willing to entertain offers for him next month, the 27-year-old playing his football elsewhere for the first time ever has become a real possibility.
United have a history of bringing through academy products and moulding them into first-team regulars. Famously, during Sir Alex Ferguson’s 27-year reign, stars from the Class of ’92 such as Gary Neville, David Beckham and Paul Scholes went on to become legends at Old Trafford.
Sir Alex seemingly tipped Rashford to follow a similar path, having watched him break into the senior fold as a precocious teenager. According to The Telegraph, United’s legendary former manager told people in his circle that he would have loved to work with Rashford, and stressed the importance of harnessing his talents for the good of the team.
Rashford showed what he is capable of in the 2022/23 season, when he hit 30 goals in all competitions and threatened to progress from homegrown favourite to fully-fledged superstar.
But his form has since tailed off dramatically, with 15 goals in 67 games since the start of last season an underwhelming return for a player earning more than £300,000 a week.
Sir Alex’s reported belief is telling in that a succession of United managers have clearly failed to consistently get through to Rashford in the way that the Scotsman himself may have been able to.
Whether new boss Ruben Amorim can get a tune out of the England international in the five games leading up to the January transfer window remains to be seen. Rashford has not been a guaranteed starter under the Portuguese, with Alejandro Garnacho preferred on the left and Rasmus Hojlund up front.
And it is understood that United need to sell if they are to reinvest in Amorim’s squad this winter. Offloading Rashford and his mega-money wages would take a significant strain off the wage bill and fetch a large transfer fee – providing there is at least one willing taker.
Rashford’s story at United is far from a tragedy, having won four domestic cups, a Europa League and hit more than a century of goals. But it may end up being one of untapped potential at Old Trafford if he goes on to become the player Sir Alex thinks he can be elsewhere.
