Manchester United are looking to tie Marcus Rashford to a new contract at Old Trafford, with the England international currently in the form of his life.
Manchester United want to keep Marcus Rashford. That is something Erik ten Hag has confirmed both publicly and privately, with the England international’s contract set to expire next year. However, the Glazers and the questionable signings of Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick mean there is no guarantee the 25-year-old will sign.
Speaking ahead of United’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night, Ten Hag confirmed he hopes Rashford will extend his run with his boyhood club.
“I would say this is the best place because we want to build the best team, first in England, then in Europe and around the world,” said the Dutchman.
And he added: “Talks between the club and the player are confidential. I think he understands Manchester United is his club.
“But in this environment and this team, I think he’s playing his best football. He’s improving, and that’s about him because he’s doing good things and he’s giving 100 per cent energy and he’s got a good plan.
“In this team, he can bring his quality. This team can help him get in the right position to score goals.
“This team is built for his qualities to stand out, so I think he knows that he is important to us and if we are to have the success we want, we need him.”
Rashford, however, needs to know 100 per cent that United is the place to be.
And the brutal fact of the matter is that the Glazer family’s bad decisions over the years have left Old Trafford a shadow of its past.
Of course, United have been on an upward trajectory under Ten Hag of late. However, no trophies have been won yet, and Sunday’s 3-2 loss to Arsenal showed there is a lot of work to be done.
Paris Saint-Germain can offer Rashford a guaranteed trophy. They win Ligue 1 almost every year by default, while they have always been serious contenders for the Champions League.
Rashford could certainly be forgiven for contemplating his future at United given the way the club has gone downhill in the years since Sir Alex Ferguson’s emotional retirement in 2013.
Before Ten Hag his best football came when Louis van Gaal was in charge, even if the Dutchman was past his prime at club level by then.
Rashford scored eight goals in 18 appearances during the 2015/2016 campaign, which ended in FA Cup glory following a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Wembley.
But after Van Gaal, came Mourinho.
Mourinho guided United to EFL Cup and Europa League glory in his first season in charge, with those trophies remaining the last two won by the club.
But he was never the right manager for Rashford, with the Portuguese too critical and limited to helping the forward realize his potential.
The United wonder boy has often struggled to start games under Mourinho, with Anthony Martial also falling into that category.
And Rashford, after signing his final contract extension in 2019, is eyeing Mourinho following Solskjaer’s appointment.
“It’s clear to see the difference in terms of intensity, especially off the ball,” he said.
“That’s where we’ve taken a lot of steps forward.
“It feels different for sure. For starters, physically we are in a much better position than last year going into the season.
“We are already three or four steps ahead of where we were last season, and now it’s about laying the groundwork for how we are going to play.”
Solskjaer was a popular manager at United throughout most of his reign at Old Trafford.
But he was tactically limited and this again hindered Rashford, who has never played with the same clarity as now
United arguably wasted three years under the Norwegian manager, failing to win a trophy and never looking like a serious challenger for the Premier League title.
And then there’s Rangnick, arguably the worst manager in United’s history.
The decision to hire the German on a temporary basis in November 2021 was a dire one and Ten Hag inherits a club that had bowed out to a new position in the summer.
The three bosses were employed by the Glazer family. There has been no Premier League title, or Champions League crown, during that stint.
And it’s only now, at 25 years old, that Rashford is a player who has always had potential.
The Glazers’ decision making made United increasingly behind their rivals. So Rashford, of course, is wise to take his time when it comes to deciding where to play his football going forward.