Manchester United are reportedly only ‘one step away’ from tying down English hitman Marcus Rashford to a new, improved contract despite recent rumours of Real Madrid’s interest.
According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Marcus Rashford is now one step away from finalising a new bumper contract with Manchester United. The Red Devils are now very close to agreeing to an extension for their star striker, even though the talks seemed to have stalled earlier and the 25-year-old has attracted interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
Rashford is currently in the best goalscoring form of his career. After a slow start to the season off the back of a down year, the England international’s performance levels have increased multi-fold since the return to domestic football post the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he shone for England.
Indeed, the 25-year-old is currently the most prolific player in Europe, having bagged 19 goals and 4 assists since returning from Qatar. In total throughout the 2022/23 season, he has racked up 27 goals and 9 assists from 45 appearances across all competitions.
From scoring in the EFL Cup final triumph to steering Manchester United into the quarter-finals of the Europa League, the speedster’s stellar form has been a major factor in United’s revival under new boss Erik ten Hag this year.
Needless to say, tying him down to a longer deal has undoubtedly been Manchester United’s priority for some time now. As such, the Mancunian giants activated a one-year option in Rashford’s contract in December that will keep him at Old Trafford until 2024, reducing the urgency of a long-term deal.
That said, they have been forced to reconsider their strategy given recent reports that PSG are preparing a dizzying proposal to make Rashford one of the world’s highest-paid players. PSG are not the only European giant to have expressed an interest in Rashford’s services either.
There have been reports that the England man has emerged as one of Real Madrid’s transfer targets as they seek a long-term replacement for Karim Benzema, with the 35-year-old set to be out of contract come the end of the season. Pacey, confident, skilful and clearly effective in front of goal or out wide, Rashford would have been a deadly addition to Los Blancos’ attack.
The report says Manchester United are ‘doing everything possible to retain its new star’, and are now close to securing his future, meaning the Merengues will now have to move on to other targets. Furthermore, Rashford has himself practically assured his continuity in Old Trafford, which will come as music to the ears of the United faithful.
The length of the deal to be handed is still unclear, along with other detail. But ten Hag will certainly be pushing the Manchester United hierarchy to get Rashford’s deal signed and sealed sooner rather than later, as he has proven that he is arguably the Red Devils’ best attacking player this season.
