AC Milan set ‘deadline’ for Rashford, ‘exploring possibility of signing’ other United players

Manchester United are desperate to offload Marcus Rashford after manager Ruben Amorim opted to axe him from the squad.

Rashford was heavily linked with a move to AC Milan at the start of this month, but talks have reportedly stalled.

ESPN claims the Italian giants are now ‘exploring the possibility of signing one of Joao Felix, Joshua Zirkzee or Rasmus Hojlund’ as an alternative to the England international.

Milan think Rashford has his heart set on a move to Barcelona and is waiting to see if they can create space on their wage bill.

They have set a ‘deadline’ of Monday for the forward to decide whether to commit to a potential loan move to the San Siro.

Zirkzee and Hojlund have both faced difficulties in scoring this season.

The former has scored four goals and provided two assists in 31 appearances. Hojlund has netted seven times, with only two of those goals coming in the Premier League.

United invested a hefty £108 million to bring the duo from Italy over the past two summers. However, both have struggled to adjust to the intensity and demands of the English top-flight.

While Hojlund undoubtedly has the potential to shine, he has been unable to cope with the physicality, often proving too weak in duels.

Zirkzee is a smart orchestrator but does not have the ruthlessness United want from a striker.

Rashford’s potential move to Milan now appears unlikely. The Rossoneri have only one remaining slot for a non-EU player.

Kyle Walker has made himself available for a transfer and seems set to join Sergio Conceicao’s squad.

Borussia Dortmund are another club keen to sign Rashford this month, but his staggering wages are proving to be a significant hurdle.

Amorim is in no mood to reinstate him back into the squad despite their struggles in front of the goal.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com.