Meet the Man Utd target who could end Rashford’s Old Trafford stay

The football scriptwriters have done it again, it would seem, with Marcus Rashford‘s Manchester United return likely to take place this weekend, as the Red Devils face off against Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan.

Rashford had actually scored the first goal of the Portuguese’s tenure away at Ipswich Town, while also netting a brace in the thumping 4-0 win over Everton soon after, although all was not well behind the scenes.

One misdemeanour too many saw both Amorim and the club decide to place the Englishman into exile, the 28-year-old omitted from the Manchester derby squad in December 2024. He hasn’t been seen in a United shirt since.

And yet, with a dream stay at Barcelona seemingly off the cards, ‘Rashy’ is back amongst it again – but to whose benefit?

Why Rashford return is an unwanted distraction for Michael Carrick

After a string of sagas involving the likes of Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mason Greenwood over recent years, there was a much-needed sense of calm among the playing ranks last season.

No public spats, no obvious infighting, with the only sense of chaos coming from Amorim himself, as the 40-year-old seemingly talked his way into the sack back in January.

A previously rotten dressing room looks to have found a sense of harmony again, not least since Michael Carrick‘s arrival in the dugout, with United almost going the entire campaign without a player catching the headlines for off-field issues.

Bringing Rashford back into the mix, even if he remains on the straight and narrow, risks providing a weekly talking point for fans and pundits alike, particularly if the academy graduate isn’t a regular starter in Carrick’s side.

There still remains a talent in there, as his 28 goal involvements last season showcased, but the forward’s desire to secure a permanent move to Catalonia was evident. Should Old Trafford be anyone’s second choice?

Of course, perhaps Rashford was forced into a corner by both the club and Amorim, but there is a sense that he brought it on himself, notably scoring just 15 goals for the club since signing a bumper new deal in the summer of 2023.

The 30-goal heroics of the year prior appear a distant memory now – does his quality, yet inconsistency, warrant the baggage?

If United are to allow Rashford to again depart before the deadline, reinforcements will first be needed, that much is true.

How Man Utd can replace Rashford this summer

Carrick’s side wasn’t full strength for Wednesday’s ‘friendly’ with Leeds United, but it was notable the lack of genuine depth on the flanks, with the second half seeing Jack Fletcher and new man Tynan Thompson deployed out wide.

Rashford watched on from the sidelines, while Shea Lacey was also kept in reserve, but that second-half lineup did point to how the Red Devils could be an injury or two away from looking so threadbare in attack.

Well, at a time when supporters are craving a marquee arrival, might that player be Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola, even with the Frenchman heavily linked with a move to Liverpool.

REUTERS/Albert Gea

As per TEAMtalk, there has been little progress in the Anfield side’s pursuit of the Frenchman, due to PSG’s reported £145m asking price, the Merseysiders perhaps wary of splashing the cash again after bringing in Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz last summer.

That stalled move to Liverpool may allow rival suitors to pounce, with the likes of United, Chelsea and Manchester City said to be being ‘kept informed’ regarding any developments.

Of course, a fee anywhere close to that £145m mark would comfortably eclipse the Old Trafford side’s club-record £89m deal for Paul Pogba, but ten years on from snapping up the polarising midfielder, United will need to spend big again at some stage.

Well, Barcola feels like the perfect talent to invest in, the 23-year-old already hailed as “one of the best left-wingers in Europe” by analyst and Como scout, Ben Mattinson.

REUTERS/Vincent Carchietta

He’s not the main man at the Parc des Princes, the spare part in Luis Enrique’s frightening attacking trio, but that shouldn’t count against him, having looked so lively when he has featured in recent times.

Plucked from Ligue 1 rivals Lyon, Barcola racked up 11 goals and assists in Ligue 1 in 2023/24, before adding a further 24 in 2024/25, reaching double figures for both metrics.

As for last term, he scored 11 goals and registered one assist, having also scored and assisted six goals en route to PSG’s Champions League triumph.

In that showpiece win over Arsenal, the fleet-footed left-winger was a real handful off the bench, stretching the Gunners’ defence time and again with his bursts in behind.

Such talent was also on show at the World Cup as Barcola scored three and assisted one for Les Bleus, despite only starting four games. As for Rashford, he scored and assisted just once apiece, having started three games under Thomas Tuchel.

It’s also worth noting too that Rashford no longer appears to be the flying forward he once was, instead so often seen cutting inside to deliver a cross, rather than beating his man down the outside.

This summer, for instance, he averaged just 0.8 successful dribbles per game, having averaged 0.9 in that regard in LaLiga last term.

For Barcola, he averaged 1.6 and 1.2 at the World Cup and in Ligue 1, respectively, seemingly a more natural dribbler who can be a real game-changer for Carrick’s side.

Let’s face it, United already know what Rashford’s all about, why not try something a little more exciting instead?