Kylian Mbappe finally confirming his intention to leave Paris Saint-Germain after years of a “yes-no-yes-no” saga wasn’t expected to have much impact at Manchester United.
After all, with all due respect to Erik ten Hag’s side, the Mbappe sweepstakes never included United realistically despite some spicy reports claiming otherwise.
However, the Old Trafford could feel a seismic byproduct tremor from the huge announcement.
Ben Jacobs reports that PSG have included Marcus Rashford in their shortlist as they seek to replace arguably the currently biggest name in world football.
The PSG-Rashford saga is not new either.
The United man was linked to the French side before he signed a new contract at United and that flirtation has reportedly left a sour taste in their mouth.
The Ligue 1 champions believe that they were used as “leverage” in negotiations and therefore, will only advance this time if they receive clear encouragement from Rashford’s camp.
Marcus Rashford is one name under consideration by PSG, as revealed last month. However, French champions will only move if they get an early and clear message he wants to leave #MUFC.
This is because PSG felt the most recent contact, prior to Rashford extending at Old… pic.twitter.com/GRa9b9D84d
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) February 17, 2024
Rashford, for his part, reportedly remains committed to succeed at United, with the new sporting team led by INEOS proving to be a big part of the reason why.
As for the club, they are in a unique position where the intangible value of losing Rashford might actually be more than his on-field impact.
The forward has struggled this season after a marquee last year which earned him a new contract.
However, coming through the academy and now a booming positive social media presence, Rashford’s value to the club as an ambassador is arguably as high, or even higher, considering his current form, as a player.
Part of the reason why PSG could also be targeting Rashford is due to the same factor, although as someone who has gone into double digits for goals and assists in more seasons than not, there is clearly a talented player there as well.
If his performances don’t improve, however, then a big enough offer from PSG could get United to do something that was unthinkable as recently as the start of the season.
