Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford is close to agreeing to a new contract with the club according to reports. This is something which is massive news for the club and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
MEN reported earlier today that Marcus Rashford has held productive talks with the club and his very close to agreeing to a new contract.
With only one year left on his old deal, fans were nervously chewing their fingernails at the prospect of losing one of their most talented youngsters since Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.
ESPN were also commenting on the matter claiming Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester City of all clubs were interested in taking the 21-year old off United’s hands. I don’t believe for one minute Rashford would consider switching from red to sky blue, however, the temptation of Real Madrid and Barcelona as the two biggest clubs in the world has haunted United before.
Why the news is a massive deal
This news should be celebrated as much as a new signing. Rashford’s role for Manchester United over the next decade could be so crucial.
With a manager at the helm who is rediscovering the club’s roots and traditions, Rashford is a player who has to be the poster boy for this new era.
If Paul Pogba and David de Gea were to leave this summer, which reports have suggested, Rashford would be one of the biggest names in world football left at the club. He would have to carry the weight of expectation amongst the fans and deliver each week.
If Solskjaer also believes he is the team’s number one striker, that is a big responsibility for someone so young. But it is also a fantastic opportunity, one Wayne Rooney took with both hands. Rooney ensured he was the figurehead of that United team, a man who you could depend upon season after season.
If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to take the club back to the top and do it in a way which he believes conforms with the traditions of the club, Rashford will have to be his main man.
New and young players like Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka and academy graduates such as Tahith Chong (right) and Mason Greenwood will look up to Rashford. The youngster needs to step up and lead the way.
Securing his services on a new long-term contract is major news for both the Norwegian boss and United fans.