Should Marcus Rashford's time at Manchester United come to an end soon, as expected, it would also finally crush the dream of his former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Marcus Rashford's potential exit from Manchester United casts a real shadow over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's once-envisioned youthful strike force.
After Ruben Amorim's arrival at Old Trafford, Rashford found himself exiled due to subpar training performances and admitted he was seeking a 'new challenge'.
Although he remains a Red Devil and has backtracked slightly on this claim, his prospects in Manchester appear dim, and rumours of Barcelona's interest now swirl.
Should the Englishman depart, his exit would entirely dismantle the attacking trio Solskjaer hoped would return glory to the Theatre of Dreams. The hope was Rashford, fellow Carrington graduate Mason Greenwood - who could yet be reunited with his old team-mate amid reported interest from Marseille - and £73million recruit Jadon Sancho would lead United's attack for years to come.
As the 2021/22 season kicked off with the long-awaited acquisition of Sancho from Borussia Dortmund, Solskjaer had confidently asserted that these young forwards, with an average age of just over 21, would spearhead the team for the foreseeable future.
"Jadon is a signing that we expect to stay at Man United for many, many years," the former United head coach declared. "It's also that part of it that we have a young, up-and-coming forward line."
However, the plan never materialised. Sancho's tenure at Old Trafford was marked by underwhelming performances and a fallout with Erik ten Hag. After a brief return to Germany, he was shipped out to Chelsea, where his loan move will become permanent this summer if they finish in the top 14 of the league - which is a near certainty.
Greenwood also departed the club in 2024. He was suspended by United when charged with attempted rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and controlling and coercive behaviour in 2022. The 23-year-old denied the charges, which were subsequently dropped, and eventually joined Marseille in a deal worth up to £26.6m after a season on loan at Getafe.
Now, as Rashford's potential exit looms, Solskjaer's plan has crumbled beyond repair. In terms of his next step, Marseille is one possible destination for the 27-year-old, where he would reunite with former team-mate Greenwood, reports the Mirror.
L'Equipe reports that Marseille, currently second in Ligue 1 behind PSG, have enquired about Rashford's services.
Barcelona are another team reportedly interested in signing Rashford, though new reports suggest that a deal would be difficult. Despite Rashford's representatives reportedly meeting with Catalan officials, the La Liga team must offload players before they can sign any others, and such departures have not yet occurred.
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