Marcus Rashford could have a number of options to choose from if a move away from Manchester United, even if only on loan, happens this month.
Rashford has not played for United since December 12 when he started a Europa League win against Viktoria Plzen and was withdrawn after just 56 minutes. The 27-year-old collapsed before the Manchester derby three days later, after which he went public with a willingness to embrace a “new challenge”. The academy graduate was eventually dropped by four consecutive matchday squads.
Rashford returned to the bench for the next game in 2024 against Newcastle United but did not feature, before illness ruled him out of training in the build-up phase. Draw 2-2 with Liverpool on Sunday.
There is every possibility that he will end up staying with United. But Athletics notes that “interest is growing”, with talks taking place to determine what the possible options are, and Borussia Dortmund have now joined the list of suitors weighing up a loan move in January. Juventus and AC Milan are the other two European heavyweights on Rashford's tail, as well as unnamed Premier League clubs.
Dortmund are at least well-versed in dealing with United, albeit before the new sporting hierarchy took control, having sold Jadon Sancho in 2021 and took it back on loan last year.
A big obstacle in the way of any loan would be the wages that Rashford wins at Old Trafford, and what percentage is covered by the other upcoming club. Understandably, United would like it to be as much as possible, but it could be a problem.
Rashford's own preference likely to steer him towards the club he feels gives him the best chance of getting his career back on track, especially with a new England cycle now beginning. This means there are a lot of moving parts and they all have to line up.
At his best, Rashford is a 30-goal-a-season striker. He hasn't been able to replicate that kind of form over the past 18 months but, even at the start of the Ruben Amorim era, he showed an ability to score by netting three times in the new manager's first two games.