Erik Ten Hag still sweating on star man as European giants see resurgent Man Utd ace as ‘priority’

A report claims that Paris Saint-Germain are still keen on Marcus Rashford and have not been deterred by Manchester United extending his deal.

The 25-year-old has been with the Red Devils for his entire professional career. He made his first-team debut in February 2016 and has gone on to enjoy 322 outings in all competitions. The England striker has bagged 101 goals, with 63 of those coming in the Premier League.

However, having inked a four-year deal in the summer of 2019, the Manchester-born star’s contract was due to expire next summer.

He would have been free to talk to foreign clubs in January. But news broke earlier this week that the Old Trafford giants had exercised their option to extend his deal for a further season.

Rashford was one of four players who saw their contracts lengthened by 12 months.

United have also triggered one-year extensions for his England team-mate Luke Shaw, Portugal defender Diogo Dalot and Brazil star Fred.

But it seems as though a major suitor for the talented hitman still want him on their books.

PSG have been linked with Rashford for some time. The Ligue 1 club’s president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, has made no secret of his admiration for United’s number 10.

And The Mirror recently suggested the Parisians were preparing a £850,000-a-week package for the forward.

While that figure seems fanciful, links to PSG appeared real and there was every chance that Rashford may have had his head turned.

And, with that in mind, the north-west giants moved to protect their asset.

But Media Foot are reporting that the man with 15 England goals remains a ‘priority’ for the PSG board.

And the report adds that the club’s football advisor, Luis Campos, is still in contact with Rahsford’s representatives.

Rashford revival sees options open up

Rashford’s career seemed to be on the wane. Having exploded onto the scene as a teenager for both club and country, his form dipped appreciably for a couple of seasons.

The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo further dented his chances of seeing regular first-team action.

He made only 13 Premier League starts in 2021-2022. However, with Erik ten Hag at the helm, everything changed as Rashford was given the nod ahead of the Portugal legend.

And with Ronaldo now out of the picture, the way is open for the ex-Fletcher Moss Rangers youth star.

He has already started 13 times from 14 top-flight appearances this term, scoring four goals.

And with eight goals across all competitions, he is now back to the form that got heads turning a few years ago.

He bagged three times at the recent World Cup and has already earned 51 caps for the Three Lions.

It seems as though Rashford’s future at the Theatre of Dreams is secure in the short term. But, he is under contract only until the summer of 2024.

That makes him vulnerable to other big clubs and the necessity for United to continue dialogue over his future even greater.

There may well be bids in the summer transfer window. Al-Khelaifi recently opened up on the striker.

“He’s another player that is really amazing,” he told Sky Sports News. “And for free? To have Rashford for free, every club would run after him, definitely.

“We’re not hiding it, we spoke before and [there was] interest, but the moment was not a good moment for both sides. Maybe, summer, why not?”

However, a move to Parc des Princes in the off-season would now involve a fee after his contract extension.

Rashford is now back doing what he does best. All he can do is to continue to score goals for Manchester United.

Whether PSG are prepared to fork out what will be a hefty sum in the summer months only time will tell.

READ MORE: Man Utd target ‘dreams’ of Old Trafford move, gifting Ten Hag advantage over two Euro giants in race