A move away from United now seems unavoidable for Rashford
A potential upcoming split between Manchester United and Marcus Rashford may now be inevitable. The English forward was previously seen as an untouchable player with the Red Devils. After all, he netted 30 goals and added 10 more assists for the club just last season. As a result of his stellar campaign, team executives rewarded Rashford with a massive five-year contract in July.
Nevertheless, things have quickly gone south during the current campaign. The once highly-rated star has only managed to contribute eight goals and five assists on the season. This comes as the club only has a handful of games remaining in 2023/24.
Along with underperforming on the pitch, Rashford also recently received heat for off-field issues as well. The England international was reportedly fined by club officials after missing a training session back in January. Rashford told the club he was sick but was previously seen in a Belfast club just days prior. Manager Erik ten Hag also criticized Rashford after he was seen partying after a loss to Manchester City in October.
Coventry players reportedly surprised by Rashford’s recent performance
The latest controversy surrounding Rashford comes after United’s FA Cup semifinal against Coventry City. The Red Devils were comfortably up 3-0 in the match before the Championship side made an epic comeback. Coventry managed to score three second-half goals to take the game to penalties. United would end up edging their opponents in the shootout, but many fans felt that the club’s overall performance was poor.
Rashford found himself at the center of the criticism. Reports out of England claim the forward’s poor play shocked the Coventry players. Multiple stars of the opposing club claimed that Rashford was an easy target to neutralize. One Coventry player supposedly sympathized with United fans for the Englishman’s display.
Rashford failed to register a tackle in the game. He was the only outfield player to hold that unwanted statistic. He also recorded the lowest successful passing rate (84%) out of all of his teammates outside of center forward Rasmus Hojlund. As a result of the performance, United supporters booed Rashford regularly throughout the match. This includes after his substitution late in the fixture.
Rashford linked with PSG as move away from United
The poor performances mixed with the fan reactions do not make for a healthy situation for the player or club. United officials have publicly denied potentially selling the star at some point this summer. Ten Hag even recently poured cold water on Paris Saint-Germain‘s reported interest in Rashford.
Nevertheless, the English side should certainly listen to possible offers for the forward following the end of the season. Not only is the star the target of criticism from his fans. He is not performing on the pitch. One potential stumbling block in a transfer, however, could be Rashford’s wages. The forward is currently raking in around $373,000 per week at United. It remains unclear how many other teams would take on such as massive salary.
Rashford also may not feature for the club during a midweek clash with Sheffield United. The star limped off of the pitch at Wembley Stadium and Ten Hag claimed that he was “doubtful” for Wednesday’s Premier League matchup.
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