Manchester United could be making the same mistake with Marcus Rashford’s potential exit as they did with Scott McTominay
Marcus Rashford could join Scott McTominay in ending his longstanding affilifation with Manchester United(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
Manchester United may have trapped themselves in the same financial position with Marcus Rashford as they did with Scott McTominay. It is understood that the club’s hierarchy regrets the deal in place with Barcelona, under which the on-loan attacker can join for just £26million.
Rashford had fallen to the wayside at United under Ruben Amorim, falling out with the then-boss and ending up on loan at Aston Villa. During the summer, the England international joined the Spanish giants on a season-long deal with an option to buy.
The 26-year-old has come on leaps and bounds under Hansi Flick, scoring 10 goals and assisting 13 times in 34 appearances so far. This has seen his value skyrocket and the United hierarchy now see him to be worth around £50m.
It means the option to buy that Barcelona possess could see the Red Devils lose around £25m in profit in their eyes if the LaLiga club decides to trigger the clause by June 30. Michael Carrick may want Rashford back for the 2026/27 season, especially if he is to assume the head coach role on a permanent basis.
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It now appears that United have backed themselves into a corner where they could inevitably lose money should the Rashford deal with Barca go through. The player himself admits he “feels at home” in Spain and could push for the move.
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This situation has become reminiscent of the club’s deal with Napoli, where McTominay departed his boyhood club like Rashford has but on a permanent deal. The Scot joined the Serie A side on a four-year contract for a fee of £25.7m.
Despite having dug United out of many holes in the 2023/24 season with important goals, the club decided to sell the academy graduate to record ‘pure profit’ from the deal. This was crucial for United in complying with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and helped them sign PSG midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
The pair could leave United for a combined £50m – the price United now values just Rashford at(Image: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
However, these two subsequent deals couldn’t have gone in more opposite directions. McTominay has excelled in Italy, winning the Serie A title on his first attempt and also being named the league’s MVP in his debut season.
Meanwhile, Ugarte has struggled to hold down a starting position under three different managers – Erik ten Hag, Amorim and now Carrick – and has made just eight goal contributions in 65 appearances.
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In comparison, McTominay has 23 goals and 10 assists to his name across 70 outings for Napoli and is also impressing for the Scotland national team – helping them qualify for their first World Cup since 1998.
While there is still a possibility that Rashford could return to United and work under yet another new manager, the consensus is that the club’s chiefs are definitely feeling the pinch from their actions regarding both academy stars.
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