Man Utd must avoid repeating past mistakes with Marcus Rashford contract decision

Rangnick explains Ronaldo absence for Man Utd in derby defeat

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Marcus Rashford is at a crossroads. The striker faces one of the most important summers of his life as a decision over his Manchester United future looms, and this time, the club cannot afford to make the same mistakes as they have done in the past.

The 24-year-old has 15 months left to run on his £200,000-a-week contract that he signed in 2019, a deal that affirmed his position as a key figure at Old Trafford.

Three years on from signing the deal, the forward is at his lowest point in his Red Devils career, experiencing his worst run of goalscoring form — or lack of it — and has lost his place as a regular starter.

It has reached the point where interim boss Ralf Rangnick prefers to start 19-year-old Anthony Elanga ahead of Rashford.

But not just in any game; Elanga was chosen ahead of Rashford for Sunday’s Manchester derby, a fixture that means more to the local lad from Wythenshawe than probably any other player in the squad.

Even when Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani were ruled out of the game, the German tactician chose to play without a striker instead of fielding Rashford, which felt like the obvious choice. With that decision, Rashford seemed to reach his breaking point.

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Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, he was one of the first names on the teamsheet. He has always been viewed as one of the most important players in the team — and now he is reduced to an impact substitute role.

Rashford’s body language could not have been more defeatist than his expression when he came off the bench. He wasn’t running to press, he wasn’t running onto balls over the top.

This was a player acting as a shadow of his former self and seemingly doesn’t know how to return to his devastatingly brilliant ways.

It is a recurring theme in football that, when a young player bursts onto the scene and appears to be ahead of his years in terms of maturity, those years catch up with them in their mid-20s.

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Rashford is not alone in going through that phase — Dele Alli, Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott are just a number of players who have experienced the same difficulties. But it poses a difficult problem for his club.

Man United need to decide whether to hand Rashford a new contract, which would likely be on the same terms as his previous deal. Handing a cool £10m-a-year contract to a player warming their bench is not a smart business move, as many sporting directors would say.

And yet, the alternative would be to sell Rashford. A England international and still only 24, he would still be able to command a generous transfer fee when he is 26 or 27 from a club of Newcastle’s ambition.

Or, worse yet, the club may allow his contract to run down. Neither scenario would be ideal, as Rashford would likely move to a direct rival or strengthen a European team abroad.

Losing him for free, when the club have invested so much in his development, would be a bitter blow. But as it stands, it remains a distinct possibility, with several media outlets reporting Rashford is unhappy with his playing time under Rangnick.

One look at Paul Pogba’s situation proves what can happen if the wrong decision is taken.

The former Juventus star has often flirted with an exit and, when United had offers on the table, they should have cashed in. Now, the 29-year-old set to leave for nothing when his contract expires.

The Frenchman has the freedom to choose his next destination and earn a lucrative payday, while Man United get no monetary return from their £89m record signing from six years ago. Few could blame Rashford for looking at his team-mate’s situation and considering what he could get for himself.

He could quite easily join Barcelona, who are scouring the market for free transfers this summer, or Real Madrid, who are assembling a star-studded frontline with Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland on their list of targets.

But there is a genuine belief that Rashford wants to stay. As a fan of Man United, he has been living his dream and the dreams of thousands of Macnunian youngsters in playing for the club.

He is talented and young enough to improve on his current form, which is surely just temporary. Under a new manager, a progressive type like Erik ten Hag or Mauricio Pochettino, he can flourish for the club again.

Allowing one of their own players made in the United academy in Jesse Lingard to leave on a free is a clear example of the lack of long-term planning undertaken by the club’s senior management.

But losing Rashford would be a disaster, at least to the fanbase who idolise him on and off the pitch, and the new managing director Richard Arnold should be doing all he can to ensure it doesn’t happen.

Man United need to make Rashford feel cherished and valued again. He helped the club through some turbulent times with his goals – now it is time the club repays the favour with a deal to reward his commitment.

If they don’t, the two parties could be heading for an uncertain and acrimonious divorce in 2023.

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