- Marcus Rashford is ‘open’ to Manchester United return
- Barcelona yet to decide on triggering buy option
- English forward wouldn’t be managed by Ruben Amorim
Marcus Rashford’s Manchester United career might not be over despite the English forward spending the season on loan at Barcelona.
An unceremonious departure, first on loan to Aston Villa in the second half of last season, looked to have brought a dissapointing end to his Old Trafford spell. He has been back to his best at Camp Nou, posting 12 goals and 13 assists in 43 games.
Rashford needed a break from United, much like when a relationship between two partners becomes toxic. But if their love for one another is strong enough, they tend to reconcile.
A Twist in the Marcus Rashford Tale
When Rashford arrived in sunny Catalonia, all the media really wanted to know was why it ended with United the way it did. So many stories of dressing-room drama, unprofessionalism, and a rift with Ruben Amorim took hold.
Rashford insisted he had nothing bad to say about the club that he grew up supporting and became one of the biggest footballers on the planet. He didn’t even reflect on his falling out with Amorim.
The 28-year-old seemed to have secured a permanent move to Barca at the start of the year amid his fine form. Hansi Flick constantly spoke glowingly of his ability and season with the Catalans.
Lately, there have been murmurs of growing problems over Rashford, with the La Liga giants opting to trigger the £26m buy option. A frustrating display in a Champions League exit at the hands of Atletico Madrid hasn’t helped his cause.
According to Simon Stone of BBC Sport, Rashford would be “open” to returning to United if needed. That’s a surprising turn of events, given the noise coming out of Spain for many months has been that he sees his Old Trafford career as being over.
A Rashford reunion might be viewed as a controversial decision from INEOS. Not least his hefty £325,000-per-week wages, which were one of the main reasons the club were prepared to cut ties.
That said, the Englishman has proven during his time at Barca that he still has plenty to offer. He’s been quite content not always being a starter and has not kicked up a fuss.
Rashford is a Solution for INEOS
United are thought to be planning for a new left-winger in the summer. But the possibility of bringing back a refreshed Rashford helps address that issue along with adding another option up top to ease the goalscoring burden on Benjamin Sesko.
Rashford isn’t everybody’s cup of tea but on his day he is one of the best attackers in Europe. If he has put his disciplinary problems behind him, a return could be a solution for INEOS.
The main focus needs to be on at least two new midfielders this summer. A new left winger should be less of a priority and even a new central defender might be more of a necessity.
Rashford has never stopped loving United and, with the right mentality, can help whoever is in charge steer the Reds back to major trophy success. The break might well have paid off, and maybe both parties renewing their vows is now the ideal way forward.
