Marcus Rashford, who shone in limited playing time for England at the World Cup, returns to Manchester United amid speculation that he may leave for PSG.
While it may appear that England’s defeat by France on Saturday night is the only thing worth considering about this tournament, the zoomed-out view provides a more balanced perspective, particularly when it comes to the young players.
Most notably, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka have been elevated to world-class status. However, Marcus Rashford’s rediscovered form has been overshadowed by circumstances, if not forgotten. Even as a substitute, United’s forward was outstanding in Qatar, as evidenced by his performance against Wales.
Since Erik ten Hag’s arrival, signs of a return to his best have been visible at United, particularly at a time when Cristiano Ronaldo’s mere presence in the dressing room risked further fracturing a club that hoped to be on the mend.
But, as Rashford returned from Doha on Sunday, it was difficult to ignore the significance of Ten Hag confirming that United would activate the extension in his contract – primarily to prevent him from leaving for free in the summer.
United want him to sign a new contract. But there are concerns that he is wasting his time, with Paris Saint-Germain among those interested in signing him.
“I can’t answer that question,” Ten Hag said when asked what he thought about the 25-year-old theory. “He has to make a choice.” What we can do is show him that this is the best club to be a part of, and it has to do with the club’s culture as well as the way we work together.” It has to do with how we play, how we train, whether we provide the right environment for players to advance, and it’s also a financial issue.
“So, if we do that, if we can tell him about our ambitions and how we intend to achieve them, we will have these discussions with him.” The decision is then left up to him. He has one and a half years left on his contract and will be here for the duration.”
The PSG ties have been present for some time, with president Nasser Al-Khelaifi last week describing Rashford as “amazing” while admitting that talks about a potential deal had taken place last summer.
United picking up the option to extend his contract simply ensures that he will not be able to leave for free at the end of the season. And, while Ten Hag clearly wants him to be a key part of the long-term plan, a sizable offer is required to keep him at Old Trafford.
“Every club would jump at the chance to sign Rashford for free.” We’re not hiding it; we talked about it before, and there was interest,” Al-Khelaifi said three days before the contract extension was announced.
“However, the timing was not ideal for either party.” Why not try summer? Today, if he’s a free agent, we can talk to him directly, but we’re not going to do so. Allow him to concentrate on the World Cup. Then, hopefully, in January, if we’re interested, we’ll talk to him.”