The winds around Manchester United have changed with a single encouraging result at Anfield, the 2-2 draw vs Liverpool but there’s a cloud that still hangs over the club.
That cloud, of course, is the Marcus Rashford situation, who missed the Liverpool game due to illness but not many would have expected him to play even if he was fit.
After being dropped from four consecutive matchday squads, he returned vs Newcastle but Ruben Amorim didn’t bring him on in another blow to his prospects.
Regardless of the manager keeping the door open for his return publicly, it seems like a clean break is the best bet for both sides.
Fortunately, AC Milan’s interest seems to be getting concrete but they have presented two conditions for the deal to happen.
Marcus Rashford transfer latest
Rashford has been the subject of interest from various parties but there will always be a dissonance between his expectations and reality.
That is because of his high wages, which ensures that the parties willing to pay it won’t interest him professionally (Saudi Pro League), and the teams he would want to go to won’t be able to pay those wages.
PSG was the team in the sweet spot but their interest seems to have waned at the worst possible time for both United and Rashford.
A bidding war seems to be the only scenario where United get value for money and Rashford gets to a place where he can keep playing high-level football.
That can happen as the interest is developing, with AC Milan the latest to throw their hat in the ring, as per Italian transfer insider Gianluca di Marzio.
Milan are in the market for a striker and are exploring the conditions of a deal for Rashford, who would probably be open to making a move to a side in a top-five league with plenty of history and legacy.
AC Milan’s conditions for Marcus Rashford deal
United had an Italian team to thank for turbocharging their summer window as Napoli did a straight cash, transfer deal for Scott McTominay that allowed them to land Manuel Ugarte.
However, the lightening doesn’t look like it will strike twice because Milan’s conditions for a deal for Rashford don’t suit United in the slightest.
As per Di Marzio, Milan want United to pay a “significant” portion of Rashford’s salary and will only do a loan deal till the end of the season.
From United’s POV, that’s a no-win situation unless Amorim’s dynamic with Rashford is so rotten he wants him out at any cost, which is unlikely to be the case.
United would effectively be paying to have Rashford play for somebody else and while he hasn’t set the world alight, he’s surely better than that.
Moreover, with United still in three competitions, even using Rashford for the odd game here and there would provide more value than doing a deal with no long-term prospects.
It would be different if there was a buy clause involved but that doesn’t seem to be the case so United would do well to steer clear of this deal if Milan’s conditions don’t change.
The market should open up more in the summer and in the meantime, Rashford should use it as an opportunity to work hard, put himself in the shop window, and move to better things.
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