Marcus Rashford's Manchester United career appears to be drawing to a close, and two Arsenal legends have confessed their desire to see the forward don the Gunners' jersey.
The United frontman has had a torrid time at Old Trafford of late, with his woes exacerbated by being axed from Ruben Amorim's squad for the recent Manchester derby. While United fans were revelling in their team's thrilling 2-1 victory over City, Rashford was left contemplating the end of his lengthy tenure at the club, admitting that his days there are numbered.
Rashford's situation at United has been unstable for some time. Despite performing well in the early stages of former manager Erik ten Hag's reign, where he netted 30 goals in the Dutch manager's inaugural season, his form has since taken a hit, culminating in his omission from England's Euro 2024 squad this summer.
While heavyweight names like PSG and Barcelona have been linked with the 27-year-old, his next move could be much closer to home. According to former Gunners Bacary Sagna and Emmanuel Petit, Arsenal could be the perfect landing spot for Rashford.
During a trip to his former primary school on Tuesday, Rashford opened up to journalist Henry Winter about his readiness for a fresh challenge. "For me, personally, I'm ready for a new challenge and the next steps," Rashford said.
Rashford
Rashford has been tipped to join Arsenal
"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. I will always be a Red. 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."
Reports now suggest United might be looking to offload Rashford before the January transfer window as per the Mirror. Meanwhile, ex-Arsenal defender Sagna expressed his thoughts that Rashford would be an excellent fit for Arsenal.
"I would love to see Marcus Rashford at Arsenal. I think if you added Rashford to Arsenal's attack, with the pace that he has, Arsenal would destroy the opposition," Sagna said. "Adding Rashford to an extremely talented squad would be a frightening prospect for Arsenal's rivals. Rashford is so quick.
"I think Arsenal having Rashford would enable Arsenal to have more variety in attack and I would love to see Gabriel Jesus and Marcus Rashford in the same team, pressing with so much intensity. Rashford joining Arsenal would be a wonderful signing for the club and a real statement of ambition.
"He hasn't been at his best, but when that happens you need support and a good environment to bring you back to your best level. You need your teammates and your manager to lift you up. You need people to believe in you."
Arsenal legend Petit chimed in and offered his perspective on the situation. He also drew comparisons to Kai Havertz's experience at Chelsea before his turnaround at Arsenal.
"I know Kai Havertz has improved massively at Arsenal, but it's difficult to say whether Arteta could do the same with Rashford if he moved to the club," Petit said. "However, I have no doubt that Rashford needs a new start and I think Arsenal could be perfect for him.
Former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna
Former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna has weighed in on where Rashford should go next (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
"Would Rashford be good at Arsenal? Give me the paper, and let me sign it for him right now! Rashford in a good environment would be incredible for the Gunners as they all look miserable at United. I saw what happened with the fan and I understand his frustration, so if Rashford wants to leave, he's more than welcome at Arsenal and the door is open for him."
The forward has more than three years left on the £315,000-a-week deal inked last year, yet it's believed United are open to bids in the region of £40million. With Amorim poised to mould his team, Rashford now looks set to be excluded from the Portuguese manager's overhaul with his culling from the derby day squad, according to the head coach, based on the player's attitude and application.
"(It was) selection. We try to evaluate everything," Amorim said of the choice to leave out Rashford. "Training, performance, game performance, engagement with the teammates."