Marcus Rashford's exile at Manchester United and expected departure this month will also wipe out long-time manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's generational dream going forward.
After Ruben Amorim arrived at Old Trafford and began implementing his vision, the already out-of-favour striker Rashford was quickly dropped from first-team consideration due to poor performances on the training ground.
Although Rashford remains a Red Devil for the time being – and has backtracked somewhat on his earlier confession of 'new challenge', which saw his match minutes reduced to zero – his future looks bleak in Manchester, and there are now rumors of a difficult move to Barcelona turned up.
If the Englishman steps down, the vision that former United boss Solskjaer had for the team's front line – that it would be led by Rashford, fellow Carrington graduate Mason Greenwood and Jadon Sancho for £73 million – will no longer exist.
When the 2021/2022 season began and Sancho was finally snatched from Borussia Dortmund, Solskjaer admitted at the time that this youthful forward – with an average age of just over 21 – was United's future for years. to come.
“Jadon is an asset we expect will remain at Man United for many, many years to come,” said the Norwegian boss. “It's also that part of it that we have a young, emerging line.”
However, such a plan would never become reality. Sancho's time at Old Trafford would be marred by underperformance and falling out with Erik ten Hag. After a quick exile back in Germany, he was sent to Chelsea, whose obligation to buy Sancho this summer becomes permanent if they finish in the top 14 of the league, which is essentially a guarantee.
Greenwood would also leave the club in 2024. He was suspended by United in 2022 when he was accused of attempted rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and controlling and coercive behaviour. The 23-year-old denied the charges, which were subsequently dropped, and eventually joined Marseille on a contract worth £26.6 million after a season on loan at Getafe.
With Rashford's potential exit now delayed, Solskjaer's plan is no longer in tatters. A potential landing spot for the 27-year-old could even be Ligue 1, where he would link up with former teammate Greenwood.
L'Equipe reports that Marseille, who are currently second in the league behind PSG, have inquired about Rashford's services. La Blaugrana are another team that have reportedly shown interest in signing Rashford, although new reports suggest a deal would be difficult.
Despite Rashford's representatives reportedly meeting with Catalan officials, the La Liga team must release players before signing others, and no such departure has yet taken place.
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