Marcus Rashford could return to Man Utd on one condition as Ruben Amorim makes decision
There is still a scenario in which Marcus Rashford could play for Manchester United again – but it involves Ruben Amorim not being the manager at Old Trafford next season. Amorim would have been rubbing his hands with glee at the sight of Rashford firing Aston Villa into the FA Cup semi-finals at the weekend, just a few days after coming out of the international wilderness with England.
And he probably had pound signs in his eyes at the same time. Don’t think for a minute that the United boss thinks that a romantic return to the fold for the Mancunian might be on the cards.
As far as the Smiling Assassin is concerned, Rashford played his last game for him when he was hooked off against Viktoria Plzen on December 12 with United looking down and out. Rasmus Hojlund replaced him – and scored twice to win the game.
Unless Amorim is sacked or resigns this summer then Rashford’s 426th appearance in a United shirt was his last. But the Portuguese would have still been delighted to see the winger score twice in Villa’s 3-1 victory at Preston on Sunday. He needs as much money as he can get his hands on to rebuild his squad this summer because the bottom line says United are skint.
The suggestion that Real Madrid are ready to pay £90million for Bruno Fernandes just a few weeks before the captain celebrates his 31st birthday made Bernabeu insiders check the calendar to see if All Fools Day had been brought forward this year.
Rashford, along with Alejandro Garnacho, remains the club’s most saleable asset – despite Amorim inexplicably doing his best to damage his value by suggesting he would rather put his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach in the team.
United’s hopes of getting the £70 million they wanted in January might be optimistic given Amorim’s damning job reference. But Profit and Sustainability Rules mean they will get full value from the cash they bank for a homegrown player.
They will also save about £50 million in wages given that Rashford still has three years left on his £325,000-a-week contract. United will hope the seeds of form the 27-year-old has planted grow into something more substantial that a couple more England caps.
Villa face PSG in the Champions League as well as Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-finals – and that means Rashford is well and truly in the shop window.
If Rashford’s actions speak louder than Amorim’s words then a summer auction might still break out. How else are United going to raise decent money? Not by selling Antony or Jadon Sancho.
When Dan Ashworth warned his bosses that the profile of United’s squad would make life tough for Amorim, he probably had Rashford in mind. The Portuguese is wedded to a three-at-the-back formation which asks the wing-backs to provide attacking width.
Ashworth knew that a squad which included Rashford, Antony, Garnacho and Amad Diallo would have to be remodelled drastically.
His reward for voicing that opinion was to be sacked as the club’s first sporting director after less than six months. Rashford can still become a vital player for United – but just not in the way he once dreamed.
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