Manchester United’s Latest Acquisition
Manchester United has officially announced that the club’s latest acquisition, Matheus Cunha, will don the coveted No. 10 jersey that was formerly held by Marcus Rashford. This change was confirmed by the Premier League side on Tuesday. The announcement follows earlier reports by ESPN indicating that United had decided to retire the number from Rashford, who has held it since 2018.
Transfer Details
Cunha’s transfer from Wolves was finalized at a significant fee of £62.5 million (approximately $84.6 million). It is noteworthy that he wore the No. 10 shirt during his previous season at Molineux.
Rashford’s Situation
Rashford, now 27 years old, has been sidelined from participating with United since December and spent the latter part of the last season on loan with Aston Villa. United’s management is advising him to postpone his return to Carrington as he seeks potential opportunities to leave the club. Meanwhile, the rest of the squad commenced their preseason workouts on Monday, with several other players expressing desires to move during this summer transfer window.
Other Players Seeking Transfers
Antony, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho, and Tyrell Malacia have joined Rashford in requesting extended leave to facilitate their potential transfers. Unless these players finalize moves, they are expected to return to training at the end of July.
Rashford’s Future
As for Rashford’s future, Aston Villa has opted not to exercise their option to make his loan move permanent for £40 million. The asking price remains the same for any club keen to negotiate for him this summer. Despite United not receiving concrete offers as of yet, there is speculation among sources indicating that Rashford’s agents hope to see heightened interest from Barcelona, especially after Nico Williams recently renewed his contract with Athletic Club.
In addition, Bayern Munich is reportedly on the lookout for a winger and has previously shown interest in Williams. Barcelona has also turned its attention to Luis Díaz from Liverpool, who remains firm in their intent not to entertain any offers for the Colombian star. Rashford reportedly prefers to play abroad where he can participate in Champions League matches. He is currently under contract with United for another three seasons, and while the club would entertain season-long loan offers, they require that a significant portion of his wages would need to be offloaded.
