Marcus Rashford is getting closer to Milan, as per La Gazzetta dello Sport on their website today.
The English forward, through his agent Maynard and his brother Dane, has already expressed his interest in a move to Serie A, a league he prefers over the Bundesliga. The latest development, however, concerns Manchester United's willingness to let him leave on a "dry" loan, meaning until June without an option to buy.
Is the deal with Manchester United difficult?
Yes. While the dry loan issue may seem like a minor detail, the change in terms is a significant advantage for the Rossoneri. This way, Milan would only need to cover his salary until the end of the 2024-25 season (with financial support from United's management, regardless of where Rashford lands) without negotiating a long-term agreement with the player, which would have been necessary with a purchase option.
Currently, Marcus is tied to United until 2028 and earns over 13 million euros net annually, figures well beyond the reach of Milan and any other Italian clubs. Only Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic earns a comparable amount (12 million euros).
This is why United, eager to broaden the pool of interested teams and resolve the situation quickly given the irreparable rift with the management and coach Amorim ("We’ll see what happens. He’s training and available, but I’m focused on the upcoming matches," the Portuguese manager emphasized), has agreed to a loan deal without a purchase option.
Just yesterday, the 27-year-old striker's agent flew to Barcelona to assess the Blaugrana’s interest. The Catalan club has recently reinstated Dani Olmo and Pau Victor to their squad but has yet to resolve its Financial Fair Play issues.
Milan, in this regard, has more flexibility, with its finances in order. Moreover, Milan has the allure of a fashionable city and positive references for Rashford from compatriot Tomori. The Rossoneri are aware of Rashford’s occasional off-field antics, but Ibrahimovic, his former teammate, vouches for him.
There are no doubts about his technical qualities or his adaptability across all offensive roles, which is why Rashford is considered Plan “A” over Sporting’s Trincao, who remains an alternative.
Manchester United, on the other hand, is looking to bolster its attack and find a way to offset Rashford’s hefty salary.
Amorim dreams of Gyökeres, with whom he worked at Sporting and whose release clause is 100 million euros, but he would also settle for Randal Kolo Muani, who seems to have concluded his time at PSG despite being signed for 95 million euros in summer 2023. Milan has also inquired about Kolo Muani’s situation, but for now, their focus is on Rashford.
It’s quite the intrigue, as numerous clubs have expressed interest in the English forward, including Juventus and Borussia Dortmund.
