According to The Telegraph, Marcus Rashford has decided to stay at Manchester United after analyzing his alternatives.
After returning from shoulder surgery, the England international was in superb form early in the season, scoring three goals in his first four outings. However, he has only scored two goals in 28 games since that early purple patch, and he and his Red Devils teammates have been heavily criticized.
Manchester United fans had hoped that the arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane, and Jadon Sancho would give them a chance to fight for the Premier League title this season.
Manchester United limped to a sixth-place finish after sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November and appointing Ralf Rangnick as temporary manager, finishing 13 points behind fourth-placed Tottenham and 35 points behind winners Man City.
Marcus Rashford had fallen out of favour under Rangnick and was debating whether or not to stay at the club, but according to the Daily Telegraph, he now ‘wants to stay and ‘is expected to undergo some intense pre-season training in the United States next month as he bids to hit the ground running under new manager Erik ten Hag’.
Rashford’s United deal expires in 2023, and while the club has the option to extend it until 2024, his long-term future remains uncertain.
Marcus Rashford’s desire to stay is only one piece of the puzzle. Now he must show that he truly deserves it. There’s no guarantee that Erik ten Hag will include him in his plans. Almost every Marcus Rashford game in 2022 was a disaster, and the worst part was that there seemed to be a lack of effort at times.
Some Manchester United supporters have had enough and believe that Rashford lacks the necessary qualities to be a world-class player. Others believe he deserves a second chance after putting his life on the line for the cause for the past two seasons.
Rashford scored 43 goals between 2019 and 2021 before regressing significantly this season.
Rashford, more than any other player, needs a great start to next season to not just revive his World Cup aspirations, but also to convince his critics and win over Manchester United fans.
His recent England snub could work in his favour, allowing him to get right into pre-season. The rest is now up to him. The 24-year-old must perform and prove to Erik ten Hag that he is deserving of a place in his plans.
