Marcus Rashford's future is up in the air after the Man Utd striker said he was ready for a new challenge, but which clubs would like to sign him in January?
The striker, who likes to cut in from the left wing, is now 27 and, after being left out of United's squad for Sunday's derby day win at Manchester City, looks set to leave the Old Trafford club after almost 20 years .
But the picture is complicated, with potential signing clubs having to weigh Rashford's signing against his likely financial demands and also whether he fits into a position they need to strengthen. There are also Ruben Amorim's comments to take into account, with the United boss saying he believes the team is stronger with Rashford…
Is there a Premier League option for Rashford?
Sky Sports senior football journalist Peter Smith:
“Arsenal is perhaps the club in England where you think: maybe that could be the connection.
“It won't be Liverpool and it won't be Man City, given the rivalry with Man United.
“And Chelsea have enough wingers at the moment. They also don't pay the wages that Rashford comes with.
“Arsenal signed Raheem Sterling from Chelsea this summer and they see that as a good financial deal for them because Chelsea are still paying a fair chunk of Sterling's wages while he is at Arsenal until the end of the season.
“So maybe they could do something similar with Rashford, as long as it was a loan deal to get him playing football and playing regularly in the Premier League.
“Arsenal also need some help on the left, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli have not performed enough this year.
“But does Rashford do enough in possession to fit into Mikel Arteta's system?”
Paris St-Germain has long been seen as a potential destination, but is the timing wrong?
Sky Sports senior football journalist Peter Smith:
“PSG has just gone through this big project of trying to get all these Galacticos, all these superstars: Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Neymar…
“They didn't want to be burdened with these super A-listers earning hundreds and hundreds of thousands of pounds a week. They wanted to bring in young, talented players like Bradley Barcola, who plays on the left that Rashford wants to play in.
“So even if you talk about PSG, who I think have been mooted as a potential destination for Rashford in recent seasons, he scored a fantastic high-pressing penalty for Man United there in the Champions League, so they've seen first-hand what he can do, but maybe that's gone a little bit.”
Sky Sports European football expert Dougie Critchley:
“I think it felt a lot more likely in 2022. Barcola has been one of their best players so far this season, scoring ten goals in thirteen league games. Desire Doue is only nineteen and he can play on the left.” or as a number 10. They don't really need another left winger. And I think that's the story for so many clubs in Europe.”
Which clubs in Europe would want him? There are many high quality left wing attackers…
Sky Sports European football expert Dougie Critchley:
“If you go to Spain, Real Madrid have Vinicius Junior. They won't move him anytime soon. And given Rashford's performances, will he get a move to a club of Real Madrid's caliber? Unlikely.”
“But then you go to Barcelona, they have Dani Olmo, they have Raphinha, who has been one of the best players in Europe so far this season. At Atletico Madrid, Diego Simeone is still sticking to a 4-4 – 2, but they have Samuel Lino, a promising left winger, on their books. You go to Germany, Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane at Bayern Munich – they don't need left winger Jamie Gittens absolutely excels at Borussia Dortmund. They don't need a left winger.
“Lois Openda and Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig are doing a great job there. They don't need him. Even at a club like AC Milan they have Rafael Leao.
“You get the idea. There aren't really many destinations for him. And the club that probably felt best a year or two ago was maybe Juventus, but along comes a young boy called Kenan Yildiz who has the number 10- shirt – the shirt that Pogba wore, that Dybala wore, and Del Piero. And he plays very, very well on the left side. So they don't really need him either.
“The clubs you would have expected Rashford to go to a few years ago, when he was having 30-goal seasons, when he was performing so well for England… This drop in form couldn't have come at a worse time.” for him when the rest of Europe does not have that much money at his disposal and the left-wing people throughout Europe are also really well filled.”
Is the answer to stay at Man Utd with the Amorim project?
Sky Sports senior football journalist Peter Smith:
“What I found interesting was that Amorim said he was looking for ways to get Marcus Rashford to his best level. I don't think it's the first time we've heard a Man United manager say that.”
“We know he is a great talent. That's what Amorim called him: a great talent. But can he do it consistently? That has always been the question with Rashford.
“Of course you have to say that Man United have made a lot of managerial changes in this period, a lot of changes in terms of personnel around Rashford. Man United have not been at the level they would like.” most of that time.
“It's difficult for Rashford and where we really place him in terms of his Man Utd career because there have been moments where he has looked fantastic. Other moments were very frustrating.
“Now we have heard of Ruben Amorim, a new manager coming to the club and who sees his quality and thinks: 'I can get the best out of this player'. But many managers have said that before and they haven't .” has been able to do this for a long time.”
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