Marcus Rashford’s representatives are reportedly in Italy to discuss the possibility of a loan move for the Manchester United player.
The Wythenshawe winger has been left out of the matchday squad for five of Man United’s last six games, including the derby against rivals Liverpool this past weekend (in which he has scored multiple times), as head coach Rúben Amorim continues to assess his squad.
As a result of Rashford‘s absence, talk of a potential move away from his boyhood club has once again ramped up now the January transfer window is open, though there has been speculation surrounding his future at the club prior to his recent omission.
Although there are several clubs thought to be monitoring the Rashford situation at Old Trafford, it looks as though AC Milan is one of those leading the chase for the 27-year-old via a loan deal.
Marcus Rashford’s representatives hold talks in Italy with AC Milan over January loan move. Several clubs interested, including Borussia Dortmund + Juventus.
Detailed in an article by journalist Laurie Whitwell, along with transfer expert David Ornstein and The Athletic‘s resident Serie A writer James Horncastle, the red half of Milan is one of the teams most interested in trying to sign Rashford as early as this month.
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According to the piece, the number ten’s brother and agent Dwaine Maynard flew to Milan on Tuesday to discuss the prospect of a transfer, though talks are still said to be in the “preliminary stage”.
It’s unclear whether an option to buy is on the table but it is claimed has already turned down offers from Saudi Arabia.
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This comes after Rashford gave the first real indication that a move away, be it on loan or permanently, and “a new challenge” might be on the cards in an extended interview with football writer Henry Winter.
However, the Italian side has a pretty healthy selection of players in Rashford’s position, not least of all their pacey and often prolific forward, Rafael Leão, who is also considered one of the most in-demand attackers even despite some injury setbacks upsetting his rhythm of late.
With that in mind, Whitwell goes on to explain that as well as PSG’s well-publicised and long-standing interest in the United and England star – though he was left out of Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad – other European suitors include fellow Italian team Juventus and German outfit Borussia Dortmund.
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Dortmund famously took Jadon Sancho back on loan for the remainder of the 23/24 season when the youngster ended up in similar ousted circumstances when Erik ten Hag was still in charge.
Sky in Germany are reporting Marcus Rashford is being considered by Borussia Dortmund as a potential forward option this month on loan 🚨 pic.twitter.com/r8MrzvbAnT
If rumours are to be believed, even Premier League rivals Arsenal are supposedly ‘keeping an eye on’ Rashford, especially since the United are understood to be facing financial pressures regarding PSR (profit and sustainability rules) and FFP (financial fair play).
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, his INEOS board and the manager himself have all made it clear that player sales would need to be made to even consider adding new names to the squad.
At the club since the age of seven, the Red Devils is all Rashford has ever known and despite a stunning breakthrough campaign as a teenager and several strong years as a first-team talisman since, including his best-ever statistical season (30 goals, nine assists) in 2022/23, his performances have been under fire in more recent times.
Considered a somewhat streaky player who tends to enjoy impressive ‘purple patches’ when he is in form, there’s no question as to his talent and natural ability when at the top of his game, but Amorim evidently isn’t 100% happy with his level of application at present.
That being said, the United boss did issue Rashford with a rallying cry of sorts, declaring this new project as “the biggest challenge” of all and insisting that he wants nothing more than to see the Manc sporting star back to his best.
On the other hand, football fans will have already seen how moves to Italy have benefitted former MUFC players like a currently red-hot Scott McTominay and Napoli teammate Romelu Lukaku, who returned to Inter Milan back in 2022 – who Matteo Darmian also joined to become a title-winner – before switching to once again find his goalscoring boots with the league leaders.
What do you think, Reds – would a loan move to Italy suit Rashford right now? Alternatively, would you rather him stay and fight for his place or sell him permanently?
Featured Images — The Overlap (screenshot via YouTube)
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Eyebrows raised as key coach and director of the company set up to buy Salford Red Devils resigns
Danny Jones
Serious eyebrows and questions are being raised as the director of Jacobsen Venture Group (JVG), the company set up to buy local rugby league side Salford Red Devils, has now seemingly resigned from his position.
Krisnan Inu, who is also employed as an assistant coach at Salford Red Devils, appears to have stepped down from his role within the investment group this week, effectively immediately.
This latest development only spells more concern for supporters as yet more uncertainty circles around the Salford Community Stadium that is edging ever closer to the brink.
Reacting to the news on social media, fan organisation The 1873 is now looking for further clarity as to what this means for the future of the club.
Krisnan Inu resigns as director of Jacobsen Venture Group Ltd – the company set up to buy Salford Red Devils.
A major development that raises serious questions about the ownership group, the promised funding, and the people behind it.
Sharing a lengthy open letter of their own, as well as a screenshot of the former New Zealand and Samoan international’s official resignation papers via Companies House, the supporters group have now reiterated their “call for transparency.”
Aside from urging for assurances regarding “stability, and above all else, the safeguarding of Salford Red Devils’ future”, The 1873 have also stated their belief that this signals more key movements behind the scenes that the fan base has not yet been made privy to.
The statement goes on to read: “This is a significant development, given Inu’s longstanding relationship with, and evident support for, Saia Kailahi – Jacobsen Venture Group’s other, and now sole, director.
“Inu has not only been a public backer but, by his own choice, a private supporter of Kailahi’s efforts to assume control of the club. His departure, therefore, raises serious questions.”
It was only back in August that fans, who have already mobilised multiple times in protest of the increasingly shadowy and tight-lipped consortium, slammed the 38-year-old ex-pro for defending the owners and clearly aligning himself with Kailahi, investor Dario Berta and others pulling the strings.
Hundreds marched through the streets before the game against Wakefield Trinity
They go on to speculate: “Would Inu, who also serves as the club’s assistant coach, step away from his role within Jacobsen Venture Group if he retained any confidence that the long-promised bridging loan was about to land, or indeed would ever materialise?
“Or has he now concluded that his trust and support have been misplaced, and simply had enough?”
They also noted that JVG has now moved its registered office from central London to Miles Platting here in Greater Manchester, though this is not the same address as Salford Rouges Diablo Ltd itself.
Continuing, they write: “This has all the hallmarks of the involvement of Steven England [former director], whose name has been linked to previous entities and involvement.”
England joined ex-CEO Paul King in quitting Salford earlier this year; however, the latter ultimately returned to try and help with the ongoing financial crisis.
As they see it, “Inu’s resignation feels like a highly significant indicator of his dwindling confidence in the ownership and by extension, the likelihood of the current financial crisis being resolved under Kallah’s leadership.” Neither the club nor Inu has yet to address the resignation publicly.
Only time will tell if the crucial funds promised so long ago will ever arrive and, more importantly, what this latest development ultimately spells for Salford Red Devils’ fate.
Jamie Carragher delivers damning Ruben Amorim verdict as pressure piles on Man United boss
Danny Jones
Jamie Carragher has delivered a damning verdict on struggling manager Ruben Amorim, as he has declared that his time in Manchester “HAS to end” after more than 10 months at United.
The retired Liverpool and England player spoke on the situation at Man United and what the future holds for Amorim on Monday Night Football (MNF), joining Everton icon Duncan Ferguson on the punditry panel for Sky Sports.
While he is by no means the first to ponder how the Portuguese gaffer is still in post, his most recent comments are some of the strongest by a popular mainstream commentator thus far, and also further stick the boot in on what he thinks is a United administration that is rife with poor decision-making.
Both he and Ferguson were far from complimentary about the 40-year-old head coach, with Carragher going so far as to label his time at Old Trafford as “a disaster”, both for the club and, ultimately, his career moving forward.
"We are only waiting for the inevitable" 😶@Carra23 says Ruben Amorim's appointment as Manchester United manager has been a 'disaster' for both parties 😬 pic.twitter.com/WxZ9uJ0XxX
‘Carra’ goes on to state that he believes “we’re waiting for the inevitable” and it’s now simply a matter of whenINEOS decide to sack Amorim.
As you can see in the clip, the former defender says that he thinks there is almost an element of denial among the Man United administration at present, with the owners, CEO Omar Berrada and Director of Football Jason Wilcox having already backed him so heavily both publicly and in the transfer market, etc.
Despite the evaluations on MNF last night, Sky Sports reports that Amorim still has the backing of Sir Jim Ratcliffe; however, it arguably serves as even more evidence to Carragher’s point that the hierarchy perhaps just doesn’t want to concede what would be such a huge admission and/or defeat.
In fact, ex-Premier League striker Alan Shearer also shared a similar stance on the most recent episode of The Rest Is Football podcast, in which he said: “I genuinely believe that the owners or the people that are running the club at the minute have made that many errors in the last two years or 18 months since they’ve been there.
He went on to add that “it would look terrible to admit another error and sack him”, especially after so much faith, investment and carrying out so much restructuring around him as the focal point.
Unfortunately, even club legends like Wayne Rooney are starting to express their doubt as to whether Amorim is the right man for the United job, though he does shine more of a spotlight on the dressing room and believes that someone needs to – for lack of a better term – give the players a kick up the arse.
Rooney’s remarks have gone viral on social media, with many noting that you can ‘hear the pain’ in his voice when talking about his former home and how the institution has increasingly suffered in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson years.
For context, even with multiple unwanted records being broken under Erik ten Hag, Amorim has not only got his team off to the worst top-flight start since the 1992/93 campaign, but has just nine wins from a total of 33 league games in charge of the Red Devils.
Carra goes on to insist that not only does this have to end “as quickly as possible” for the sake of the club this season and moving forward, but if the one ‘next big thing’ and one-time potential Pep Guardiola successor is to keep his reputation intact. The question is, do you agree?
You can see Duncan Ferguson and Jamie Carragher’s full assessment of the current situation with Ruben Amorim and Manchester United as a whole down below.
Danny Jones -
8th January 2025 
