Ruben Amorim has addressed Marcus Rashford’s bombshell announcement that he’s ready to leave Manchester United.
Rashford announced on Tuesday that he feels ready for a new challenge away from Old Trafford.
The Manchester United academy graduate admitted he would have no issue with ending his 20-year association with the club he grew up supporting.
But with his current contract still having three years left to run and being one of the club’s top earners, his options for an exit are limited.
And Amorim has addressed the bombshell exit, leaving an option on the table for the striker he left out of the Manchester derby.
Ruben Amorim: I Want Marcus Rashford To Stay
While Marcus Rashford has struggled to hit the heights of years gone by, Amorim believes the club is better with him in it. And less than 24 hours after Rashford’s shock interview with Henry Winter, Amorim insists he wants Rashford to stay.
“I think he’s right [that he needs a new challenge],” Amorim said. “We have here a new challenge, it’s a tough one, for me it’s the biggest challenge in football because we are in a difficult situation and I already said this is one of the biggest clubs in the world. This is a really new challenge and the biggest one. I really hope all my players are ready for this new challenge.
Rashford has scored just seven goals in 24 appearances this season. His omission from Sunday’s 2-1 win over Manchester City will have been a sore one for the England international. But Amorim is intent on helping Rashford rediscover his best.
👀Marcus Rashford said he wanted a new challenge.
🔴Ruben Amorim says that challenge is at Manchester United.👉https://t.co/wtBYUqpSsA#MUFC #bbcfootball pic.twitter.com/I7weuyyT6c
— BBC Sport Manchester (@BBCRMsport) December 18, 2024
“I’ve had not spoken to him yet,” Amorim said. “Yesterday was a day off for the lads. He’s our player and ready for the next game. I spoke with a lot of players individually during training sessions. What I want is to take the best Marcus Rashford. I don’t talk about the future, I just talk about the present.
“I want the best of each one of them and that is the key point for me, I just want to win and to help the team be better. We are better with Marcus Rashford, that is simple and we will try different things to push Marcus to the best levels he showed in the past. And that’s all.
“Of course [I want him to stay], because this kind of club needs big talent and he’s a big talent, so he just needs to perform at the highest level and that is my focus. I just want to help Marcus. The others focus on their job.”
What’s Next For Rashford?
Reports in recent weeks have claimed that Man United would be open to selling Rashford in the coming windows.
A January move looks unlikely but the Red Devils would be open to offers for the 27-year-old. However, it is thought a sale in the summer is more likely.
Rashford has been linked with PSG in the past while Saudi Arabian clubs would also be able to afford his wages. Rashford himself is unsure what the future holds and he wouldn’t begrudge the club for selling him.
He said in his bombshell announcement on Tuesday: “For me, personally, I think I’m ready for a new challenge. When I leave it’s going to be ‘no hard feelings’. You’re not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That’s me as a person. If I know that a situation is already bad I’m not going to make it worse.
Marcus Rashford had a day off today so he returned to his old primary school, Button Lane, south Manchester, and handed out 420 Christmas presents to all the pupils. It was a long-planned event, eliciting delight from the children. One boy scarcely more than four years old, had a…
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) December 17, 2024
“I’ve seen how other players have left in the past and I don’t want to be that person. When I leave I’ll make a statement and it will be from me. I’m halfway through my career. I don’t expect my peak to be now. I’ve had nine years so far in the Premier League and that’s taught me a lot, that’s helped me grow as a player and as a person.
“So I don’t have any regrets from the last nine years. I won’t have any regrets going forward because I take things day by day and sometimes bad things happen, sometimes good things happen. I just try and keep a fine balance.”
So, where could Rashford go next should he leave Man United? SportsCasting has put together a list of five clubs that could be best suited to the striker.
