Marcus Rashford is spending his summer in Marbella, a top holiday destination for footballers including Cristiano Ronaldo, Raheem Sterling and Erling Haaland. But although it's sunny, luxurious and the beach is nearby, it's not a typical holiday. Rashford is conducting an individual training camp to sharpen his fitness levels ahead of the new season, as he has done previously in the last few years.
The key difference is that this year he does not know what exactly he is training for. Rashford's days at Manchester United are numbered after being cast aside by Ruben Amorim last December, but clubs have not exactly been queuing up to sign him since his loan spell at Aston Villa came to an end. The days are now counting down before he has to report for pre-season training with United on July 7.
The prospect of Rashford arriving at Carrington and awkwardly crossing paths with Amorim will be a dream come true for photographers, but something that the club, coach and player will want to avoid. From Rashford's point of view, returning to United would be proof that he is not as in demand as he would like, as every club knows he is both available and his price.
From United's perspective, the sight of Rashford returning to Carrington would be the latest reminder of the club's inability to shift unwanted players, as well as a huge distraction for Amorim and the rest of the squad as they begin to focus on building up towards the new season. But the situation everyone wants to avoid seems inevitable unless both parties alter their expectations....
