FC Barcelona Forward Marcus Rashford

England international Marcus Rashford has given a surprising assessment of Manchester United’s future following his loan move to Spanish giants FC Barcelona.

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Rashford was told he would not be in Ruben Amorim’s plans for the 2025/26 season, and the 27-year-old took a salary cut to join The Blaugrana on loan for the upcoming campaign.

According to The Guardian, the 62-capped England international revealed in the Rest is Football podcast with Gary Lineker and Micah Richards that Man Utd currently don’t have an identity following Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.

“Show me a successful team that just adapts,” Rashford said. “When Fergie was in charge, not only the principles for the first team, the whole academy [was] set up so you could pick players from 15 years and over – that’s a full generation. And they’d all understand the principles of playing the Man United way, right?” he added.

Rashford was critical that the Red Devils had abandoned the principles instilled during the Ferguson era and revealed that after his six-month loan spell at Aston Villa in the second half of last season, he was able to see the state of the Old Trafford club.

“We’ve been way below where we deem United to be,” he said. “But then if you take a step back, which I’ve been able to do, especially over the last six months – what do you expect?”

He added: “People say we’ve been in a transition for years. To be in a transition, you have to start the transition. So it’s like the actual transition’s not started yet,” he added. He praised Liverpool for the support they showed to Jurgen Klopp.

“When Liverpool went through this, they got Klopp, they stuck with him,” Rashford said. “They didn’t win in the beginning. People only remember his final few years when he was competing with [Manchester] City and winning the biggest trophies – he certainly didn’t win for three years,” he said.

He believes United will not be serious contenders for the Premier League again unless they keep faith with a clear plan.

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“To start a transition, you have to make a plan and stick to it. So this is the thing that I feel – it’s not easy. But this is where I speak about being realistic with what your situation is. I feel like we’ve had that many different managers and different ideas and different strategies to win … you end up in no man’s land,” he concluded.

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Etiosa Ighodaro during the Betway Premiership match for AmaZulu and Polokwane City at King Zwelithini Stadium

Etiosa Ighodaro remains hopeful of a potential switch to Kaizer Chiefs, even as the chances of the move happening appear to be fading.

The Nigerian forward is still contracted to Mamelodi Sundowns, and while Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi has admitted the club would be ready to act if the “administrative issues” surrounding the player are resolved, time is running out in the current transfer window.

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With Amakhosi actively in the market for a new striker, Ighodaro’s name has consistently been linked to Naturena, especially after Nabi openly expressed his admiration for the player.

A Siya source close to the situation has indicated that the 24-year-old is keeping faith.

“For the boy, the most important thing is to play football, and an opportunity at a club like Chiefs keeps him hopeful,” the source explained.

“It would be a fantastic move for him at a club of that stature. Plus, the coach, Nabi, is a big admirer, so who wouldn’t be interested in an opportunity like that? We’ll have to wait and see what happens between now and the end of the transfer window,” added the informant.

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Chiefs recently announced the signing of Asanele Velebayi after a long wait, but a marquee striker is still on their wishlist.

Whether Ighodaro will be that man depends on whether Sundowns and the player’s camp can find a resolution before the window slams shut. 

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