The England forward has revealed his desire to leave Manchester United, but could find himself short of viable suitors for various reasons
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It's a shame Marcus Rashford's Manchester United career has come to this. He really ought to have been one of the last remaining one-club men. After a sensational 30-goal season in 2022-23, the world thought he would fulfil his potential at Old Trafford and become a modern United great.
Alas, that dream is in tatters. Following weeks of speculation that the Red Devils could move Rashford on, the man himself has come out and expressed his desire for a 'new challenge'. Nearly two decades of association with United are coming to an end.
The problem for both United and Rashford now is finding a suitor. His salary is among the highest in the league, with various sources claiming he earns somewhere in the region of £325,000 ($412,000) per week. Despite his successful 2022-23 campaign, Rashford has not enjoyed a truly great season outside of that in the 2020s. Attitude and work ethic have long been called into question, while he is only really useful coming inside from the left despite attempts to play him through the middle and wide right.
So who will bite the bullet and make a move for Rashford? What kind of move would he even accept? Where are the destinations he could land? GOAL has run through every conceivable party who may hold an interest and decided where Rashford is most likely to head to next.
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images Sport12Manchester City
Now, in terms of needing a proven scorer and having the requisite cash needed to complete a deal, Manchester City should theoretically be among the top teams in with a chance of landing Rashford. There is one rather major problem however – his continued loyalty to United even after he leaves.
In the remarkable interview with Henry Winter in which he declared his want to leave, Rashford was asked if he would still be 'a red' even after he departs. "Yes! 100%, 100%," was his rapid reply.
Pep Guardiola is said to be a huge admirer of Rashford too, but any talk of a crosstown switch seems fantastical. United should not even pick up the phone if City call, and Rashford should not consider burning all bridges with his boyhood club.
AdvertisementGetty Images Sport11Real Madrid
From a financial and superstar standpoint, Real Madrid and Rashford sound like a natural match. As with City though, there's simply way, way too much turmoil on either side that would prevent this from happening anytime soon.
Los Blancos are already struggling to fit three of world football's best attacking players – Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham – into the same lineup without destroying their Champions League-winning chemistry, with two of those stars fighting for Rashford's desired space in the left-hand channel.
If Rashford was coming off one of his more stellar seasons, then maybe the Madrid press would talk themselves into thinking the club should enter the sweepstakes. This isn't the reality, mind.
AFP10MLS
Fanciful? Very much so. Impossible? Not at all? Improbable? Yeah, obviously. Rashford's infamous excursions in the United States will add fuel to any fire about crossing the Atlantic and laying down roots in Major League Soccer.
That may happen one day, but not in the next few years. Rashford was forthright that he only sees his career as half done and that his best is still to come. That won't happen outside of Europe.
Getty Images Sport9Newcastle
When Rashford was tipped to leave United in 2022, Newcastle seemed an intriguing landing spot. The Magpies had just been taken over by PIF and were happy to splash out in hope of improving both team and club profile.
Two-and-a-half years on, it would take some extreme squad rebuilding at St James' Park for him to come into focus again. Newcastle only narrowly kept themselves out of PSR trouble over the summer and have tied down Anthony Gordon – another player in Rashford's preferred position – to a new contract after previously floating the idea of selling him to Liverpool.
Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes could leave to contending clubs which would open up the room needed to make an acceptable bid for Rashford. You'd imagine Newcastle would go after a different profile of attacker, however.