Marcus Rashford forced into Man Utd U-turn as PSG cool interest
Paris Saint-Germain have cooled interest in Marcus Rashford and will actively pursue other transfer targets ahead of the summer window.
The French giants have a Kylian Mbappe-shaped hole to fill at the end of the current campaign and have long been admirers of Rashford after trying to bring him to France last summer, before the Manchester United forward signed a lucrative new deal to stay put.
However, having previously been expected to come in with a big-money offer in the coming months, i understands the struggling striker is not part of a shortlist of âthree or fourâ forwards PSG are looking at, a list headed by Napoli hitman Victor Osimhen.
United insiders have insisted Rashford is part of next seasonâs plans regardless, as they look to help him rekindle the kind of form that saw him plunder 30 goals in all competitions last term.
However, given the need to raise funds for Ineosâ on-field transformation, it is believed a substantial offer for Rashford would be considered as part of a wider squad fire sale, something that has been planned from the moment Sir Jim Ratcliffe got his feet under the table at Old Trafford. Money raised from any Rashford exit would be classed as 100 per cent profit in the eyes of financial fair play regulators, making any departure even more appealing.
But after a disappointing campaign on and off the pitch for Rashford, should he decide it is time to seek pastures new, his options may be rather limited.
Rashford took to social media last week to hit out at abuse he has been receiving this season in a late-night post insisting âenough is enoughâ.
His dip in form this season has seen his relationship with United supporters again turn sour after altercations in previous campaigns, with a perceived lack of effort and application at the heart of some fansâ ill-feeling.
Rashford has never publicly expressed any desire to leave his boyhood club and still has four years of his ÂŁ325,000-a-week contract to run. He has however clashed with Erik ten Hag several times in the past few years, including earlier this season when he missed training after only returning from a night out in Belfast hours before.
Ineos are understood to be keen to offload some players they feel are on inflated contracts, such as Casemiro and Raphael Varane, with the latter likely to be released in a few monthsâ time to reduce the clubâs wage bill. Rashfordâs own deal is another potential deterrent for any interested suitors.
With Mbappeâs astronomical wages off the books, i understands PSG now have a war chest in the region of ÂŁ200m to spend â the majority of which is likely to be spent on Osimhen.
Club sources have been keen to point out that Mbappeâs departure will mean a move away from the previous galactico era, where the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Sergio Ramos could effectively do what they liked â with young, hungry players to be targeted in the transfer market instead.
However, they have expressed the need to replace Mbappe with some âworld-classâ talent â a void Rashford is now unlikely to fill.
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