Marcus Rashford has revealed he is ready to leave Manchester United, stating he needs a 'new challenge' in an astonishing interview posted on social media. The 27-year-old forward, who has been at the club since the age of seven, was left out of the squad for Sunday's Manchester derby, which United won 2-1.
In a 1,021-word tweet with journalist Henry Winter, Rashford said: 'For me, personally, I think I’m ready for a new challenge and the next steps.' He insisted there would be 'no hard feelings' when he departs, adding: 'You’re not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United.'
The interview came after a turbulent 48 hours. On Monday, Rashford was sent home sick from training with a high temperature. The following day, while on a day off, he visited his old primary school to hand out 420 presents and gave the interview. Manager Ruben Amorim had dropped Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho for the derby, a move that reaped immediate rewards.
Rashford acknowledged the disappointment of being omitted but said: 'It’s disheartening to be left out of a derby, but it’s happened, we won the game so let's move on.' He added that he has learned to deal with setbacks as he has grown older.
Potential suitors may be deterred by Rashford's wages, believed to be around £325,000 per week. Paris Saint-Germain are not currently interested, sources have disclosed. A fee of £40m is expected to be enough to secure his services, with his contract running until 2028.
Selling the academy product would significantly boost United's profit and sustainability rules standing and allow Amorim to rebuild. Rashford, who has scored 143 goals for the club, has had a difficult 18 months, including missing training after a tequila-fuelled bender in Belfast and being branded 'unprofessional' by Gary Neville for watching an NBA match during time off.
