Manchester United are facing a race against time to secure Marcus Rashford's future with the forward out of contract next summer.
The 25-year-old has been one of Erik ten Hag's standout players so far this season, with Rashford scoring seven times in 16 matches. He netted the all-important goal as United ran out 1-0 winners over West Ham United on Sunday - heading home his 100th Red Devils strike.
However, Rashford is out of contract in June 2023 and has entered into the final eight months of his £200,000 per-week deal. According to the Daily Mail, there is an option to extend his deal by a further year, and United could either trigger that or offer him fresh terms given his impressive start to the season.
As it stands, Rashford is open to start talking to foreign clubs from January 1 and potentially strike a pre-contract agreement, which would see him move elsewhere next summer. Paris Saint-Germain expressed an interest in the England international in August, while the striker's representatives went to meet officials from the club over the summer.
And Rashford has already admitted in the past he would be open to a move abroad - naming Real Madrid and Barcelona as clubs he would consider joining if the opportunity was to arise. When asked by the Guardian if he was interested in playing abroad in an interview in May 2021, Rashford replied: "I would never say no.
"Other than United? I’m a big fan of Real Madrid and Barcelona, because they’ve always had great players and played attractive football. Everybody watches Real Madrid and Barcelona."
United are hoping to strike a deal with the forward to ensure his long-term future remains at Old Trafford, but it may be difficult for the two sides to agree a new contract before the new year, particularly if Rashford goes to the World Cup with England this month. The Wythenshawe-born forward could be set for a recall to the Three Lions squad ahead of the tournament in Qatar.
Should Marcus Rashford sign a new contract at Man Utd? Let us know in the comments below!
The Red Devils are set to bide themselves some time to get a lengthy deal done as they will activate the 12-month extension that is built into Rashford's contract, allowing them a chance to agree a new long-term contract with the player in due course. Rashford last signed a long-term contract back in 2019, after shining under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Rashford then netted 22 times in the 2019/20 campaign - the most-prolific season in his career to date as United scraped into the Champions League places. He continued his impressive form into the following season, where he chipped in with 21 goals in 57 matches, but would play the final few months with a shoulder injury.
That affected his participation at Euro 2020, with Rashford having to endure surgery to fix the issue after the tournament. It forced the forward to miss the first few months of the season, and he didn't recover from that setback. Rashford fell out of favour under Ralf Rangnick and scored just five times in 32 matches.
But Ten Hag has seemed to put an arm around Rashford and his confidence is rebuilding after a difficult year. The United academy graduate praised the Dutchman for the impact he has made since becoming the club's manager in the summer.
Rashford said: "When you are playing in a team sport, you want the players to be together. The energy is more positive within the whole team and at the training ground, that is the biggest thing. It is stuff he (Ten Hag) mentioned as soon as he came in."
