AC Milan are reported to have severe doubts about signing Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford in January due to his wages, and are now interested in Chelsea attacker Joao Felix.
The United forward had been subject to interest from several European clubs, with Borussia Dortmund and Milan seemingly emerging as frontrunners for his signature.
A permanent deal was always unlikely to materialise given he is reportedly on a wage in excess of £300k per week, a salary that only the wealthiest clubs could possibly afford.
Florian Plettenberg now reports that there is no sign of an imminent transfer for Rashford to Milan, with negotiations said to be complicated due to the huge financial sums involved.
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Why United and Rashford must part ways
United boss Ruben Amorim has frozen Rashford out of his plans, with the winger last featuring for his side on December 12 against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League.
Amorim's team lost 3-1 against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday afternoon at Old Trafford, and it has become abundantly clear that the Portuguese manager needs reinforcements if he is to implement his style of play.
However, it is widely reported that the Red Devils' transfer budget in the upcoming transfer windows is likely to be small given United do not wish to breach the Premier League's financial rules.
Without the sale of someone like Rashford, who would help ease the financial pressure on the club due to his homegrown status, it is difficult to see how Amorim would be able to significantly alter the current squad.
However, the fee that United receive for Rashford in the summer would undoubtedly be smaller if he does not secure a loan move this winter and showcase his talents, and that makes a transfer this month a necessity.
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Could Rashford and United face embarrassment?
In the aftermath of the Brighton defeat, Amorim explained Rashford's continued absence, telling reporters: "Rashford is out of this moment because he is not playing. No matter what, I am not going to put a player I don't believe is the best for the team.
"It is his choice. I don't want to focus this bad moment because in this games we lost, Rashford is not here. I don't want to put this moment on Rashford."
Amorim does not need the distraction of having to answer questions regarding Rashford, and the Englishman needs to be playing regular football if he is to get back into the England squad for the 2026 World Cup.
If the winger was to stay at United beyond January, it would be yet another failure by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who promised to revolutionise the Red Devils' operations behind the scenes.
The billionaire has soured relationships with fans due to the implementation of a number of cost-cutting measures, and his failure to dismiss Erik ten Hag in the summer arguably left Amorim in an impossible position as he has been forced to work with the previous manager's players.
It is hard to see how Rashford's situation will be resolved, but staying at Old Trafford would almost certainly do more harm than good to both parties.
Lewis Nolan
