Marcus Rashford’s future at Manchester United appears to be hanging by a thread. And two Arsenal legends have confessed their desire to see the forward join Mikel Arteta’s team.
The United frontman has been going through a rough patch at the club lately, with his woes exacerbated by being ruthlessly dropped from Ruben Amorim’s squad for the Manchester derby on Sunday. While United fans were revelling in the afterglow of their team’s thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Manchester City, Rashford was left contemplating the end of his lengthy tenure at Old Trafford, admitting that his days at the club are numbered.
Rashford’s situation at United has been unstable for a while now. Despite initially performing well under Erik ten Hag, where he netted 30 goals in the Dutch manager’s inaugural season, Rashford’s form has since taken a nosedive, culminating in a devastating blow this summer when he was omitted from the England squad for Euro 2024.
However, despite speculation linking him with potential moves to clubs like PSG and Barcelona, Rashford’s next stop could be much closer to home. Arsenal are being touted as a perfect match for the 27-year-old, according to former Gunners Bacary Sagna and Emmanuel Petit.
On Tuesday, Rashford expressed a desire for a fresh career challenge during an interaction with journalist Henry Winter at his old primary school where he was visiting. “For me, personally, I’m ready for a new challenge and the next steps,” Rashford said.
“When I leave it’s going to be no hard feelings. You’re not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That’s me. I will always be a Red. If I know that a situation is already bad I’m not going to make it worse. I’ve seen how other players have left in the past and I don’t want to be that person. When I leave I’ll make a statement and it will be from me.”
Amid speculation about his future, United now seem amenable to selling Rashford when the transfer window opens in January. Reflecting on Rashford’s future earlier this year, ex-Arsenal defender Sagna believes Arsenal could be an ideal setting for the forward, as per the Mirror.
“I would love to see Marcus Rashford at Arsenal. I think if you added Rashford to Arsenal’s attack, with the pace that he has, Arsenal would destroy the opposition,” he said. “Adding Rashford to an extremely talented squad would be a frightening prospect for Arsenal’s rivals. Rashford is so quick.
“I think Arsenal having Rashford would enable Arsenal to have more variety in attack and I would love to see Gabriel Jesus and Marcus Rashford in the same team, pressing with so much intensity. Rashford joining Arsenal would be a wonderful signing for the club and a real statement of ambition.
“He hasn’t been at his best, but when that happens you need support and a good environment to bring you back to your best level. You need your teammates and your manager to lift you up. You need people to believe in you.”
Fellow ex-Gunners star Emmanuel Petit is on the same page. He’s even drawn comparisons between Rashford’s current struggles and Kai Havertz’s rocky period at Chelsea.
“I know Kai Havertz has improved massively at Arsenal, but it’s difficult to say whether Arteta could do the same with Rashford if he moved to the club,” said Petit. “However, I have no doubt that Rashford needs a new start and I think Arsenal could be perfect for him.
“Would Rashford be good at Arsenal? Give me the paper, and let me sign it for him right now! Rashford in a good environment would be incredible for the Gunners as they all look miserable at United. I understand his frustration, so if Rashford wants to leave, he’s more than welcome at Arsenal and the door is open for him.”
Rashford, who is tied to a £315,000-a-week deal until over three years from now, could well be on the move as United are reportedly open to bids in the region of £40 million. With Amorim now at the helm, it’s looking more likely by the day that Rashford may not fit into the Portuguese tactician’s plans.
Amorim, discussing his choice to leave out Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho for the clash with City, said: “(It was) selection. We try to evaluate everything – training, performance, game performance, engagement with the teammates.”
