PSG, Bayern Munich or Saudi? Marcus Rashford's potential destinations analysed
Marcus Rashford has fond memories of playing in Paris, but would it be the ideal match?
After Marcus Rashford confirmed he would like to leave Manchester United in the wake of the club making it known they were keen to find a buyer, the question now is where will he end up next?
Telegraph Sport fired the starting pistol on the news of his impending exit from Old Trafford last week and there are a number of potential destinations which have been mentioned in private.
However, there are very few clubs who have the financial resources to match Rashford’s £325,000-a-week wages, which was United’s problem when they were discreetly looking for interested parties in the summer. There is also the matter of agreeing a fee with United, although they will no longer expect to receive huge money for their out of favour former academy star.
Here Telegraph Sport takes a look at some possible destinations, but all have their potential issues to resolve.
Paris St-Germain
Telegraph Sport understands that Rashford was offered to the French club in the summer, through intermediaries, as they had previously expressed an interest in signing the England international.
However, there has been a change of approach at PSG, with the club focusing on more young, upcoming talent rather than signing expensive, big-name stars on inflated contracts as they initially did under the wealthy Qatari owners.
Whether they would be willing to offer Rashford an escape route now remains to be seen, but they could be interested in a loan move in the short term which would give the 27-year-old a chance to showcase his talent in a new environment. It would seem unlikely though given the way PSG have operated in the transfer market recently.
Bayern Munich
They were the last foreign team to spend big money on a famous English player when they signed Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2023. They have also taken Michael Olise from Crystal Palace since then. However, they are unlikely to be able to afford Rashford’s wages and do they have a need for a player who is out of form looking for a fresh start?
Like most potential suitors, Bayern would be looking for Manchester United to continue to pay a chunk of Rashford’s wages but a try-before-you-buy loan deal could hold some appeal in January.
A move to Spain
There was a time when the two La Liga behemoths, Barcelona and Real Madrid, would have jumped at the chance to sign Rashford but on current form, they will have serious misgivings. Barcelona have well-documented financial problems too and would not be able to afford his wages, while Real do not have an obvious need – and probably not the financial leeway – to do the deal either.
There are other clubs which might hold some appeal to the player, including Atlético Madrid, as he looks for a fresh start and an escape from distractions back home.
Whether one of them looks to sign the player on loan to see whether a change of environment can bring out the best in Rashford is possible, but will that hold any appeal for United who would rather sell to ease their own profit and sustainability rules concerns?
Saudi Arabia
There has been some tentative interest from the Saudi Pro League in the past and at the age of 27, Rashford is a player who should be coming into the peak years of his career. There has been little sign of that so far this season but they could be willing to take a risk in the hope he can rediscover himself in the Middle East. It would be a gamble but they are the big spenders in football at the moment
Sources have told Telegraph Sport that the Saudi clubs are, realistically, the only ones who will be willing to match Rashford’s current wages but a move remains far from certain. And would a player, who said he still harbours ambitions of playing for England again, want to go there?
Major League Soccer
This may well be an attractive option for Rashford who has been a regular visitor to the US for holidays in recent years. Major League Soccer would be getting a household name, albeit with a tarnished reputation, who, in theory, still has the best years of his career ahead of him. Soccer in the US has not been able to boast those sorts of players before.
It would be a headline-grabbing statement and Rashford would fall into the designated player category that would mean a franchise could pay him handsomely outside of the wage cap structure that puts a tight control on spending.
It would be a good option to try and rebuild his career and he is still young enough to return to one of the top European leagues if things go well.