Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is reportedly considering his future at the club after having struggled for game-time in recent months.
According to The Guardian, Marcus Rashford is considering the prospect of leaving Manchester United at the end of the season as he is unhappy over his reduced involvement in recent weeks under Ralf Rangnick.
Rashford is a product of the Manchester United youth setup. The English forward broke out into the first-team picture back in 2016 under then-manager Louis van Gaal and has made great strides over the years. Widely regarded as one of the best prospects to have come through the ranks at Old Trafford, the forward has already racked up 295 appearances for the club despite being just 24 years old.
Rashford has tallied a total of 93 goals and 58 assists for the Red Devils. However, the ongoing campaign has been difficult for the English international. Having missed a large chunk of the first half of the season due to injuries, the attacker has struggled to capture his old form since and has found himself warming the benches more often than not under interim manager Rangnick.
Rashford has featured 24 times in all competitions in 2021/22, only nine of which have been starts in the Premier League. He has produced a poor return of five goals and two assists. Since the turn of the year, the 24-year-old has started just two of Manchester United’s ten matches in the league, missing one due to injury and being an unused substitute in one (five sub appearances).
Marcus Rashford is considering his future. He's concerned about his lack of game time, source close to Man Utd forward tell me – he's always been professional but he wants clarity. ???????? #MUFC
His current Manchester United deal runs out in June 2023. pic.twitter.com/nYOvGld4W0
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 7, 2022
During this period, the England international has effectively fallen behind young academy starlet Anthony Elanga, who has found himself enjoying the faith of manager Rangnick.
This sharp decline in his involvement has seemingly led to frustrations within the boyhood Manchester United fan, who is now considering requesting the club to sanction an exit in the summer. Rashford’s current contract with the club stands to run out in 2023, although the Red Devils can extend it by another year.
With Rangnick only in charge of the team until the end of the season, Rashford will likely wait to see who the next manager is and then assess his options. Manchester United are already starting talks with potential candidates, including Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino while AFC Ajax’s Erik ten Hag is also high on the wishlist.
Losing Rashford at a point when Edinson Cavani is set to leave, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s future is far from certain would be a bitter blow for Manchester United. The 24-year-old’s form has nosedived this term, but his ability and quality are beyond a shadow of a doubt. And, the club are likely to put in all the efforts to convince their academy graduate to continue at Old Trafford.
