Rashford to replace Mbappe at PSG? Man Utd star’s future is already written

Robin Bairner

• 17 Feb 2024 22:15 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester United attacker Marcus Rashford once again finds himself linked with a possible transfer to PSG in the summer.

Since Kylian Mbappe’s departure from Parc des Princes was made public last week after the striker told PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi that he has no intention of signing a new contract, a lengthy list of potential replacements has arrived.

Among the names on this list is Rashford, who has been linked with a move to the Ligue 1 champions on more than one occasion in the past.

It’s a deal that, frankly, seems improbable.

Rashford, after all, is primarily a left winger. Mbappe has been used as a centre-forward in Luis Enrique’s system, and while the England international should not be dismissed in that role, it is one that he has not traditionally flourished to his fullest extent in.

Meanwhile, PSG already have a highly promising left winger of their own in the form of Bradley Barcola. After a slow start in Paris, the youngster has began thriving and scored in the Champions League against Real Sociedad in midweek.

Professional PSG don’t need a Rashford

Then there is the issue of the new, smarter PSG transfer policy. Signing Rashford would fly in the face of all they have done in the last six months, where the excesses of recent years have been shed.

Notorious party animals Neymar and Marco Verratti have both been offloaded, with a premium now placed on professionalism. Rashford, meanwhile, has been publicly stroppy at United and was recently spotted at a Belfast nightclub before missing training.

His form, too, does not justify the type of transfer fee that Man Utd are expected to demand. He may have improved in recent weeks, but besides a red-hot streak for 10 weeks last season, his contribution has been far from world-class over the last 18 months. He’s not the sort of player a top club can rely on.

PSG previously felt that Rashford’s representatives leveraged their interest as part of a transfer ‘game’, and it was at this point that a deal might have been struck. It’s surely too late now.