(Footbal news) The England international has scored seven goals and contributed three assists in 24 appearances for the Red Devils during the 2024-25 campaign, but he has not featured for his club since December 12.

Rashford has been left out of the matchday squad for four of the team’s last five matches, while he was an unused substitute against Newcastle United in the Premier League on Monday night.

The 27-year-old was initially dropped for the Manchester derby in the middle of last month due to some underwhelming performances in training, while his general behaviour around the Carrington training complex is also said to have contributed to head coach Ruben Amorim’s decision to overlook him.

Rashford has expressed a desire to seek “a new challenge”, with the forward seemingly looking for an exit route, and there have been suggestions that he could move on during the winter market.

Arsenal ‘are interested’ in Rashford

Arsenal are among the clubs to be linked with Rashford, and according to multiple reports, there is a degree of interest from the Gunners, with the Premier League title challengers considering him as a potential option.

However, the report claims that Raheem Sterling would have to return to Chelsea to create space in the squad, while Arsenal would not be prepared to pay more than £25 million for his services.

Manchester United are thought to value Rashford between £40m and £50m, making a deal at £25m incredibly unlikely, while Manchester United are also reluctant to let him move to another English club.

The Englishman took to social media on Wednesday to hit out at “false stories” regarding his future, with the forward denying that he had recently met with a new agency with a view to potentially securing a January exit.

Rashford ‘picks Spain as preferred destination’

According to sources in Manchester, Rashford would prefer to move to Spain if he left Manchester United this month, but there are not expected to be many options for him when it comes to La Liga.

Neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid are thought to be interested at this moment in time, making Atletico Madrid the only realistic contenders, but Diego Simeone’s side are well-stocked in the final third of the field, with the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth all enjoying strong campaigns.

There is also thought to be serious Saudi Arabian interest in Rashford, but the forward is believed to be reluctant to leave European football at this stage of his career.

Rashford continues to train with Manchester United, who are preparing for Sunday’s Premier League clash against leaders Liverpool, but there is a chance that the academy product has played his final match for the Red Devils.

Also read: Manchester United face competition for signing shortlisted goalkeeper