Manchester United are trying to drum up interest in Marcus Rashford ahead of the January transfer window.
Rashford is considered expendable by United's leaders, who know they must balance the books to meet financial fair play rules. Ruben Amorim is keen to strengthen the United squad he inherited from Erik ten Hag in January, but the club needs to sell players to reinvest the money.
Rashford has scored three goals in five games for United since Amorim's arrival, but makes the most sense on the balance sheet. Selling homegrown players counts as pure profit in terms of profit and sustainability rules, making academy graduate Rashford a useful asset to have.
United have spent more than £100 million to sign Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirzkee in the last two summer transfer windows and Rashford is therefore earmarked for a sale. The club will be hoping memories of his 30-goal season will spark some interest in 2022/2023.
The Daily Mail reports that United would listen to offers of around £40 million for the 27-year-old. That's a huge drop from the £100m they said he was worth in the summer of 2023, after the best campaign of his career.
However, there is an obvious problem United face if they try to sell Rashford: his wages. The England international is paid around £325,000 per week after signing a top contract until June 2028 thanks to his strong form.
Very few clubs can afford to meet these demands, leaving a small pool of potential buyers in January. In reality, the club know they are unlikely to attract much interest, despite previous admiration from Paris Saint-Germain.
For his part, Rashford is trying to embrace the new start under Amorim. He has seven goals and three assists in 23 appearances this season and is enjoying the Portuguese coach's new ideas.
“He (Amorim) has come in at a busy time and hopefully the connection will continue to grow and grow,” he said recently. “He came in with a great attitude and he conveyed that to the players. The atmosphere is one of the most special things about his club and playing in this great stadium is always a great feeling.
“It's still early, but I feel energetic and ready for the next match. This match has only just ended, but the next one is always the center of attention for the players.”
United are in action against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday evening before taking on Manchester City in the derby on Sunday in the Premier League. Amorim has a lot of work to do, with his side in 13th place in the top flight, eight points clear of the top four.
Comments