Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford looks to be heading out of the door of Manchester United
Marcus Rashford has reportedly taken his Manchester United colleagues by surprise with his admission that he is open to leaving the club he has been with since childhood.
The 27-year-old, who joined the Premier League heavyweights at the tender age of seven, appears to be nearing the end of his two-decade-long association with Old Trafford.
Following his omission from Ruben Amorim's squad for last week's Manchester Derby, the England international confessed to journalist Henry Winter that he has come to terms with potentially departing United in pursuit of a fresh challenge.
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Despite struggling to replicate his form from the 2022/23 season, during which he netted 30 goals across all competitions, his revelation caught many off guard, including his fellow Red Devils.
As per The Independent, it was believed within the United camp that Rashford was intent on reclaiming his place in the starting eleven, rather than seeking a new adventure elsewhere.
"One of the major developments of the week was Marcus Rashford's announcement that he is now open to leaving Manchester United, although it did cause some surprise among teammates who expected him to want to stay to fight for his place," the publication reports.
"The news has naturally caused sadness that it has come to this for a homegrown player, but we're some way from the end of this. Rashford's anticipated asking price and wages could come to a collective £100m for any club interested, which is why few have even considered it so far.
"That may change as the January market gets going, but it's currently going to take a lot to move him. The irony is that, as sad as it seems, it does feel like all parties could just do with a change."
The England international was again absent from the matchday squad in United's 4-3 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup quarter-finals on Thursday (19 December).
After expressing disappointment over not being part of the victorious 2-1 derby win against Man City, Rashford made it clear that he intends for any potential departure from Old Trafford to be devoid of drama: "When I leave it's going to be 'no hard feelings'," he said.
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"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."
Fans will be eager to see whether he will be back in action when United meet Bournemouth in their upcoming league fixture on Sunday (22 December).