Marcus Rashford’s transfer to AC Milan could be scuppered by little-known Brexit rule thanks to Man Utd rivals

By Martin Lipton

MARCUS RASHFORD is at a crossroads.

But now the England star has to make the biggest choice he has ever faced – does he care about cash, or about his career?

Rashford’s shock admission that he is “ready for a new challenge” after some two decades under the Manchester United umbrella has altered the dynamic around his future.

That Rashford might not fit the blueprint of Ruben Amorim – who has now responded to Rashford’s comments – was not exactly a surprise.

The Portuguese coach prefers a 3-4-3 formation but appears to have settled on Rasmus Hojlund as his starting central striker and wants two “narrow” inside forwards, with the width coming from the wing-backs.

Rashford has always wanted to play through the middle but is often at his best exploiting spaces out wide – and that skillset does not necessarily suit the way Amorim wants to play.

Even so, going public with his evident dissatisfaction at being bombed entirely from the squad for the Manchester derby was a major move, even if he vowed there would be “no hard feelings” if he does leave his boyhood club.

In truth, Rashford has been leaving United almost from the moment he signed that new £325,000 per week contract in 2023.

Something was broken in his connection to the club. His form dropped, his threat dissipated, his issues with the hierarchy deepened.

When Erik ten Hag dropped him for hosting a birthday party after a derby defeat, and he later pulled a sickie to miss the FA Cup game with Newport, it felt even then that the writing was on the wall.

The facts suggest the love affair has ended. After scoring 30 in all competitions to earn that new deal, he has scored just 15 in the 18 months since it was signed.

Amorim’s arrival seems merely to have accelerated what was increasingly inevitable.

Now, though, it is up to Rashford to determine what his future will bring.

If it is only about the money, then his options might be somewhat limited.

It is hard to see a Prem rival coughing up the same £16.9m annual salary – although Rashford’s comments have probably knocked £20m-plus off any transfer fee.

But Real Madrid have their fill of big-money strikers and Barcelona’s budget remains restricted by LaLiga financial controls.

In Europe, then, that probably leaves PSG – but a move to a one-club league.

Or, in the wider world, he could follow the likes of Ivan Toney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Roberto Firmino and Co and head to the Saudi desert.

Lucrative, yep. Certainly a different environment – and that may be exactly what Rashford both wants and needs. But the football? Not in a million years.

What Rashford needs, above all, is to be able to play for trophies and showcase his talents.

There is no better stage than the Premier League – which has far more global eyeballs on it than any other domestic competition.

And in that Premier League there is one club crying out for a goalscoring No 9, especially if he can also play down the left channel to balance out the side and widen its threat.

Rashford has always been more Longsight than London.

Yet Arsenal, and Mikel Arteta, might be the perfect fit.

The Gunners’ lack of a proper scorer is one of the major factors many fans feel has hurt their title challenge this year.

Gabriel Jesus has never been a natural finisher, while Kai Havertz is still a converted midfielder.

And while the link-up between Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka makes their right flank deadly, faith in Gabriel Martinelli on the left is waning.

There have not been too many who succeeded at Arsenal after leaving United – although Danny Welbeck was not a flop.

Rashford has all the attributes to change that history, if he can reproduce what everybody knows is inside him.

And by breaking free, giving himself the chance to start all over, Rashford can make a point to Amorim that will resonate for a very long time.

Andre Onana – Stay

Despite being guilty of some erratic performances, Andre Onana remains a world-class goalkeeper and United would struggle to find better in the market.

The defence has begun to look more solid in recent weeks now Amorim has had time to coach the structure into the team, and hopefully, that will be converted into clean sheets going forward.

Noussair Mazraoui – Stay

The best signing from the summer window so far, Noussair Mazraoui has proven to be everything Man Utd needed and more.

Versatile, reliable and passionate no matter whether he plays at wing-back or centre-back, it is a no-brainer to keep the Moroccan.

Leny Yoro – Stay

After a pre-season injury, Leny Yoro has taken some time to bed in but he has shown some superb moments in a Man Utd shirt already like his lung-busting run to block a Liverpool shot in the 2-2 draw at Anfield earlier this month.

At the age of 19 he will only get better and while too much expectation should not be thrust on him just yet, the early signs suggest he could be a mainstay in defence for years to come.

Harry Maguire – Go

The last time we did this list Harry Maguire was one of our main defensive options to be sold, but since Amorim has come with the back three the England international has barely put a foot wrong.

The issue with Maguire is that while he is perfectly suited to a back three, he will be 32 in the summer and has just one year left on his contract, so if a serious offer comes in he should regrettably be sold.

Matthijs de Ligt – Stay

Matthijs de Ligt has been very hit or miss since arriving in the summer. Capable of heroic last-ditch tackles like he did at Arsenal and also capable of some very silly passages of play like his handball against Liverpool.

In many ways, the Dutchman seems like a younger version of Maguire and given some more time to bed in he should improve even more.

Lisandro Martinez – Stay

Has really started to grow into the Amorim system in recent games after a very sticky patch of form.

He is one of the team’s best progressive passers in the build-up phase and has the dogged mentality this team will need to improve and claw its way up the table.

Luke Shaw – Go

It’s been said that one of the best abilities is availability, and that rings incredibly true for Luke Shaw.

World class on his day and is clearly still capable of finding those levels, as seen at less than full fitness with England at the Euros. But he is simply not available often enough to warrant keeping.

Tyrell Malacia – Go

Tyrell Malacia is still recovering his match sharpness from his two-year injury layoff, so it is a bit harsh to make a verdict on him so soon.

The current concern is that United will need to aggressively recruit specialist left wing-backs in the summer, and Malacia so far has not looked totally comfortable playing there.

Manuel Ugarte – Stay

Question marks were being raised about him after his first few games. But under Amorim, Manuel Ugarte has once again become the lynchpin of his midfield.

He knows the system inside out and is one of the Premier League’s most proficient ball winners. It would be madness to consider his sale next summer.

Kobbie Mainoo – Stay

Despite reports that Chelsea and Bayern Munich want to sign the 19-year-old, Kobbie Mainoo should be one of the few genuinely untouchable stars at the club and his contract situation needs sorting ASAP.

He has quality and aspects to his game not possessed by many other midfielders, and with improvements to the stars around him, he and Ugarte should be able to form an effective partnership for many years to come.

Casemiro – Go

Casemiro unfortunately seemed to lose his legs going into his second season at Man Utd. And with the 3-4-3 system demanding even more running from him, it is clear he simply does not fit the bill for what the club need going forward.

It would also help the club’s financial goals to see him sold due to his massive £375,000-a-week wages being taken off the books.

Bruno Fernandes – Stay

The club captain, Bruno Fernandes has faced a lot of criticism since taking the armband for his erratic decisions and losing his temper.

Yet he remains the best player in the squad by some distance and shows the mentality the squad needs to improve. Besides it’s not like United’s most famous captain of the Premier League era, Roy Keane, was exactly cool-headed.

Antony – Go

There’s a definite case to argue that Antony may be the worst pound-for-pound signing in Premier League history, with games too often passing him by and lacking quality when he is involved.

That being said, he has improved in a number of brief cameos when featuring as a wing-back under Amorim. But unless there is a plan for him to learn the position and become a specialist he should be moved on.

Marcus Rashford – Go

It was not supposed to end like this. Once the darling of Old Trafford and Carrington, Marcus Rashford’s comments admitting he wanted a new challenge were probably the final nail in the coffin for his Man Utd future.

There is a classy player in there if he can find the motivation to love his football again. A sale to a rival should be ruled out for fear of exactly that, while a sale overseas should be targeted and pushed by the club.

Amad Diallo – Stay

Has taken a real liking to his role as either the right No.10 in the 3-4-3 or as the right wing-back.

Amad Diallo has been one of the team’s best players this season and was rewarded with a new deal as a result.

Alejandro Garnacho – Go

Arguably the trickiest star on the list, Alejandro Garnacho has bags of raw talent to elevate him to being world-class. But recent off-field issues and poor form have doubt cast on his future.

If, as reports suggest, a major bid of £60m from the likes of Napoli comes in there will be a tough decision to make. Though it may be the financial situation of the club which ultimately tips the scale.

Joshua Zirkzee – Go

Joshua Zirkzee has certainly been hit-and-miss at United so far. He has had some games and moments where he has looked very impressive, and others where he is simply not good enough.

He has a very unique profile which makes him top drawer in the right system, it is just United will probably never play the right way for him to truly excel.

Read our verdict on the full Man Utd squad here.