CONFIRMED: Rashford’s preferred destination after Man Utd exit

Marcus Rashford’s time as a Manchester United player is nearly over, and the England star has made it clear what his next steps are in his career.

Rashford dropped a bombshell onto Man Utd on Tuesday when he claimed in an interview that he needs a “new challenge”.

This came just 48 hours after new Red Devils head coach Ruben Amorim had omitted him entirely from the squad that beat Manchester City 2-1 in the Premier League on Sunday.

Speaking to Henry Winter, Rashford said: “For me, personally, I think I’m ready for a new challenge and the next steps.

“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. 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.”

Rashford wants LaLiga

Rashford’s target is to continue his career in Spain, according to The Telegraph.

This means that he is primarily targeting a move to Real Madrid or Barcelona, though the prospect of the 27-year-old moving to either of those clubs looks slim.

Los Blancos already have an issue with fitting in Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe on the left side of their team, while Barcelona are similarly stacked offensively and still have significant financial problems on top of this issue.

PSG are another side who have been linked with a move for Rashford, but the Englishman’s prospects of going to the French capital also look slim.

A left-field alternative for Rashford could be a switch to the Saudi Pro League. Matching his wages would be a major issue for any European club who might wish to sign him, but that would not be a problem in the cash-rich emerging championship, where he could hook up with former Man Utd team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

Any transfer to Saudi, though, would effectively end Rashford’s career at the top level, which is a consideration he will have to be mindful of.