Marcus Rashford Sparks Speculation About Manchester United Future with “New Challenge” Comments

Another day, another problem at Old Trafford. After being left out of the squad during Manchester United’s derby win over Manchester City, Marcus Rashford’s recent comments in a recent interview have sparked speculation about his immediate future with the club.

Marcus Rashford said in an interview with Henry Winter on Tuesday that he’s “ready for a new challenge.” This came after the 27-year-old, who has struggled to perform at a consistent level over the last two seasons, was dropped for United’s 2-1 win over City. The speculation around Rashford comes at the worst possible time, with United currently in London to face Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup quarterfinals. It is being reported that Marcus Rashford hasn’t traveled with the squad to London, but Alejandro Garnacho – who was also dropped vs City – is on the plane to London. This means that something isn’t quite right between Rashford and new Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim. 

In a recent press conference, Amorim addressed Marcus Rashford’s “new challenge” comments, expressing his disappointment that the player hadn’t approached him privately before speaking to the media. “I would speak with the manager,” Amorim admitted. When pressed further, the coach opened up about his mixed emotions. “It’s hard to explain what I am going to do. I’m a little bit emotional. I need to prepare for the game and then we will see. Let’s focus on the team, not individual players.” Asked whether his approach would be to move on quickly, Amorim reflected on the delicate nature of the situation. “It’s a hard situation to comment (on),” he explained. “If I give a lot of importance, it will make big headlines in the papers, and if I say it’s not a problem, then my standards are getting low. My focus is to not take the attention away from the game, the team, and what we did in the last game.” 

Judging by the recent events, it’s clear that Manchester United need a cultural reset. And as a part of that cultural reset, Ruben Amorim is willing to offload Marcus Rashford according to some reports. It’s believed that the United hierarchy are willing to listen to offers for Rashford – something which was unfathomable just a year ago. However, the biggest obstacle to any potential move for Marcus Rashford is his colossal weekly wage of £365,000. Having said that, Ruben Amorim has made it clear he wants Rashford to stay at Old Trafford and challenged him to embrace the “biggest challenge” of proving himself at his boyhood club. So, is this truly the end of the road for Marcus Rashford at Old Trafford, or merely a temporary bump in the journey?