Manchester United

Manchester United

Premier League • England

Man Utd star urged to consider devastating exit by club legend, with ‘pivotal’ summer closing in

Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, Man Utd

Rio Ferdinand has made a worrying Man Utd prediction

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has told Marcus Rashford he is facing a crucial decision this summer, even tipping the forward to leave Old Trafford.

Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag was praised last season for getting the best out of Rashford. The attacker enjoyed his best ever campaign, notching 30 goals and 11 assists in 56 outings.

But Rashford has once again been plagued by inconsistent form this term. His record of eight goals and six assists in 36 games is certainly not terrible, though it is clearly a big drop off from last season.

Instead, Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho have emerged into two of Man Utd’s most dangerous players in the final third.

Following Rashford’s poor display in the 1-1 draw with Brentford on Saturday, Sky Sports pundits Jamie Redknapp and Dion Dublin tore into the Man Utd team, including Rashford.

After saying he ‘cannot believe the lack of effort’, Redknapp added: “We’re watching Marcus Rashford and he’s walking around like it’s a bit of fun out there. It’s the Premier League! You’ve got to try and win games.”

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Dublin, meanwhile, said: “As an ex-United player, what’s hurting me most is the reaction to when they lose the ball.

“When they lose the ball it’s very much an, ‘Ah, my team-mate will get it back!’, and it’s not good enough.”

Rio Ferdinand discusses Marcus Rashford future

Ferdinand has now provided his stance on the England international. The pundit, who won 15 trophies with Man Utd between 2002 and 2014, thinks Rashford is facing a ‘big decision’ and may opt to find a new club to try and kickstart his career.

“I think it’s a pivotal moment in his career now, he’s not a kid anymore,” Ferdinand said during an appearance on the Stick to Football podcast.

“I think there’s a big decision to make, from him. He’s got to look at who’s around him, who are the external people? Are they the right people?

“Are they enabling him to make excuses for himself behind closed doors? Or are they saying, ‘Look at yourself and be accountable for what you are doing’? He needs to look at that, own that and make big decisions.

“When I left West Ham [for Leeds United], I could have gone to Chelsea. That’s probably a club I would have preferred to go to at the time. But the reason I went to Leeds was it was out of London and the external people around me, I needed to get away from.

“He might need to go, ‘You know what, I’ll get rid of them and stay in Manchester, or I’ve got leave Manchester and get rid of those people’.”

Rashford has previously been tipped to join Man Utd’s fierce Premier League rivals Arsenal, though it would be a surprise if that transfer happened.

Should Rashford heed Ferdinand’s advice and hand in a transfer request, then a switch to France could occur. Paris Saint-Germain are long-term admirers of the 26-year-old and could look to make him a replacement for Real Madrid-bound Kylian Mbappe.

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