Marcus Rashford is reportedly excited at the prospect of playing under Michael Carrick at Manchester United, according to The Athletic. The 28-year-old England international returned to the club over the weekend after his hopes of a permanent move to Barcelona faded.
Rashford had been linked with a switch to Barcelona, but the Spanish club's permanent signing of Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United and Karim Adeyemi ended that possibility. However, a move could be revived if Forren Torres joins Paris Saint-Germain, as reported.
Pre-season return and limited minutes
Despite the uncertainty, Rashford is preparing for the upcoming campaign with United. He is expected to play minimal minutes in the club's matches against Leeds United or AC Milan this week, having only recently begun pre-season training. He may feature in the final two warm-up games before the competitive season opener against Hull City next Saturday.
Rashford first played alongside Carrick over a decade ago on his United debut, and the midfielder-turned-coach is now part of the backroom staff.
Swap deal proposal with Arsenal
Meanwhile, United have been presented with the opportunity to sign Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly, according to football.london, the sister title of the Express. Arsenal are targeting a new left-winger, while United are pursuing a midfielder and left-back, making a swap deal involving Rashford and Lewis-Skelly a potential option.
Former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon suggested such a swap could be shrewd. He told BestBettingSites: "Would I swap them (Myles Lewis-Skelly and Marcus Rashford)? You know what, I probably would. And that's nothing against Myles Lewis-Skelly; it's about giving him the freedom to go and expand his game elsewhere."
Dixon added: "With Marcus Rashford, he's a player who needs an arm around his shoulder, and Arteta would be great for him. Give him that love, give him the freedom to play on that left side, and yeah, I'd like to see him in an Arsenal shirt. I have my reservations about whether he's consistently a top-class player, but based on what Arsenal have in the squad now, he'd be a good addition."
Future still uncertain
A swap arrangement seems highly unlikely, but there is no certainty Rashford will remain at Old Trafford. The Mirror reports that he continues to seek an exit route, with discussions over his future set to take place as he prefers to revive his career elsewhere.
