Ian Wright names surprising Premier League club Marcus Rashford should join as Arsenal legend insists there is ‘no chance’ of a Man United return
Ian Wright has offered a surprise destination for Marcus Rashford this summer, with the England forward’s future still far from clear.
The Manchester United academy graduate is currently on loan at Aston Villa, moving from Old Trafford on February 2, where he has started on the road to realising his previous best form.
Under Unai Emery he eventually ousted Ollie Watkins from the starting line-up, starting the Champions League quarter-final second leg clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
However he is at a crossroads in his career in that there is no certainty that he would simply return to United and continue where he left off, after being frozen out by boss Ruben Amorim.
Barcelona have also been linked with Rashford, should he decide against staying at Villa if he chooses to move on from United, but Wright has suggested a possible fourth option.
‘It’s the kind of signing Newcastle should be making,’ Wright said on his Ringer FC podcast.
Ian Wright has offered a surprise potential destination for Marcus Rashford this summer
Rashford has started to rediscover his best form with Aston Villa after leaving Man United
Newcastle currently have Alexander Isak up front but Rashford could partner him out wide
‘That would be amazing. That would be dangerous. Rashford at Newcastle? Yeah. That would be really good. I really like that for Rashford. Rashford at Newcastle can be dangerous.’
Newcastle currently line-up with Jacob Murphy on one wing and Harvey Barnes or Anthony Gordon on the other, flanking Alexander Isak through the middle.
It is a formula that has worked wonders for Eddie Howe this season, with the Magpies winning the Carabao Cup and putting themselves in a great position for a return to the Champions League.
Isak is one of a number of players to have been linked with a move away, although such an eventuality is unlikely given both his importance to Newcastle and the fee his services would demand.
As such Rashford would provide a brilliant option either out wide or as back-up to the Swedish star for next term, and is thought to be keen to join a side battling it out in the Champions League.
Wright was also asked whether he thought that Rashford could return to Man United this summer after his loan move, but the former Arsenal striker was emphatic in his response.
Wright said: ‘Nope. No chance.’
The new head coach had criticised Rashford’s work ethic publicly before leaving him out of the side on a number of occasions, before later sanctioning his move to Villa in January.
Under new head coach Ruben Amorim Rashford was frozen out and decided to leave over the winter
Amorim had publicly criticised Rashford’s work ethic in training before sanctioning his loan
Unai Emery’s side are thought to have a £40million option to make the loan deal permanent
Villa are believed to have a £40million buy option in their loan deal for the England international, though they are not obliged to trigger it.
There is the small matter of Rashford’s current wages, which Aston Villa, and indeed Newcastle, may struggle to afford.
Villa are currently paying only around 75 per cent of his hefty £315,000-a-week wages.
As such, the likelihood of him staying on at Villa Park could well hinge on their qualification for the Champions League, which is far from a given.
They are currently seventh having played a game more than Newcastle who are two points ahead in fifth, the final Champions League spot this season.
