Manchester United have been warned they will face challenges keeping players happy if Marcus Rashford returns from his Barcelona loan spell this summer
Former Manchester United defender Wes Brown has indicated it will be tricky to see Marcus Rashford make his way back to Old Trafford, with the club also needing to maintain harmony among other squad members. The 28-year-old has flourished during his loan spell at Barcelona, which is set to conclude this summer.
Barcelona hold an option to make the move permanent for £26million, and Rashford has repeatedly expressed his desire for the transfer to happen. Yet, if Barca opt against triggering the clause and he heads back to United, Brown reckons it could prove challenging for the manager, be that Michael Carrick or another appointment, to maintain positive working relationships.
Speaking to Betting Lounge, Brown said: “It’s a tough one. For me, it’s all about relationships. There’s a lot of players to keep happy. That’s another matter the club will have to deal with.
“If Marcus Rashford did come back, I don’t think he would have a problem with anyone, and there wouldn’t be a problem on the pitch given the quality he has.”
Former Reds manager Ruben Amorim excluded Rashford from his squad due to worries about his training standards and failure to fulfil expected professional benchmarks. That call eventually resulted in the forward’s loan moves to Aston Villa and subsequently Barcelona.
Brown continued by suggesting that lifting silverware with the Spanish champions before the season’s conclusion would prove hugely significant for him, particularly after everything that transpired in Manchester.
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“On a personal note I think it’d be brilliant for Marcus Rashford if he can win the Champions League with Barcelona,” the former defender continued.
“He’s a local lad. You could see he’d had some fallings out with management when he was at United.
“We’ve seen that throughout the years in football. It can happen. He’s managed to get a good move for himself going to Barcelona and the pressure’s on Marcus out there and he’s handling it very well.
“He’s doing some really good things on the pitch as well as scoring. The team’s embraced him and they’re in a good position to win some big trophies. You just hope that’s the case.
“Who knows what can happen after that. After this season is done, he probably won’t be coming back to United, but at the same time you have to respect it. People want Marcus to do well.”
His impressive form was recently disrupted by a minor knee problem, forcing him to miss the 4-0 Copa del Rey semi-final first leg loss at Atletico Madrid. Nevertheless, he could be back in action against Girona in La Liga on Monday evening.
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