Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola has said that one “fast” and “strong” Manchester United star under Ruben Amorim could revive their career away from Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim has seen an uptick in form for Manchester United at the start of 2025 with two solid results against Premier League rivals Liverpool and Arsenal.
United travelled to Anfield earlier this month on the back of four consecutive defeats across all competitions and produced a superb display against the league leaders.
The Red Devils secured their first Premier League point of 2025 with a 2-2 draw against Liverpool, despite missing out on the opportunity to snatch all three points.
United then travelled away to the Emirates on Sunday for the start of their FA Cup title defence and knocked Arsenal out of the competition.
The Red Devils were reduced to 10 men and United went on to beat Arsenal 5-3 on penalties in the third-round tie, with all five spot-kick takers successfully converting.
Zola says Man Utd star is ‘sore point’
Manchester United have been without Marcus Rashford since their 2-1 comeback win against Viktoria Plzen away from home in the Europa League last December.
Ruben Amorim dropped Marcus Rashford for United’s 2-1 comeback victory over Manchester City at the Etihad and the United star’s future is shrouded in mystery.
Rashford, who is under contract until 2028, has spoken out since Amorim dropped him and hinted his future could be away from Old Trafford.
The 27-year-old United forward has had the door left open for him to return to Amorim’s first-team squad, but a January exit from the club has been mooted.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Gianfranco Zola claims that he has been “disappointed” by Rashford and expected “much more” from him at United.
“Talking about Rashford is a sore point for me because, ever since he was a kid, I’ve always considered him a strong player, someone capable of making the difference,” he said, as per MilanReports.
“Instead, he disappointed me a bit because he could have given much more. He alternated great seasons, like the one two years ago, with disappointing seasons like the last one. He was quite inconsistent.”
Zola on one transfer location for Rashford
Marcus Rashford’s form fell off a cliff last season under Erik ten Hag and the United player’s struggling performances led to him losing his place in the England squad.
Rashford, who missed out on England’s run to the Euro 2024 final last summer, has attracted interest from clubs around Europe amid his situation at United.
The England international has been linked with Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, while Serie A outfits Juventus and AC Milan have reportedly been interested in him.
Zola admitted that Rashford could have a “significant impact” in Italy, but he is disappointed that he never became the Premier League “MVP” player.
“He is certainly fast and technically strong,” he told the Italian newspaper.
“In Italy, he could have a significant impact, but it depends on him.
“For me, he could have been the Premier League MVP for years and instead he never was.”
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