Marcus Rashford 'doesn't deserve' Barcelona transfer as Man Utd hero left upset

Treble winner Teddy Sheringham has voiced his opinion that Manchester United's Marcus Rashford doesn't merit a move to Barcelona following what he deems a "soul-destroying" period. The 27-year-old forward is on the hunt for a fresh start, having spent the latter part of the previous season on loan at Aston Villa, following a rift with manager Ruben Amorim at United. Rashford expressed his readiness for "a new challenge".

Rashford is one of five players who have told United they are keen to leave, despite rising through the ranks at Old Trafford and netting 138 goals in 426 first-team matches. Now stripped of the No.10 jersey in favour of newcomer Matheus Cunha, Rashford has caught the eye of Barcelona. However, former United striker Sheringham finds it all distasteful.

Speaking to Sky Bet, Sheringham said: "If you assess where Marcus Rashford is at as a professional footballer, you strive as a youngster to get to the very top and play for clubs like Manchester United, and when you're there, you appreciate it. You don't throw it away and say you want to leave.

"I find the whole episode very soul-destroying, compared to the way I was back in the day and how I strove to get the privilege to play for such a huge football club.

"To hear someone talking the way he is talking, saying he wants out - I didn't like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang doing that at Arsenal, I thought it was soul-destroying, and I hope Rashford doesn't get the move that he's hankering for.

"From my perspective, if you go from Manchester United to Barcelona, that's a step up that he hasn't deserved."

Rashford is among those including Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, and Tyrell Malacia who are on the lookout for new clubs as Amorim aims to revamp a team that limped to a 15th-place finish in the Premier League last season.

United's clear stance on the five players has weakened their bargaining power, according to Sheringham, as their transfer dealings have "stagnated" while they attempt to offload squad members to fund new signings.

"It's very easy to spend money on players, but it's hard to recoup it," he remarked. "It seems quiet, but I bet there's lots going on behind the scenes at Manchester United. Other clubs know United's position.

"They've made it known that they're looking to sell around five players, which signals to other clubs to make them ridiculous offers.

"I would assume that's what football clubs are doing around Europe, and Manchester United are turning them down at the moment.

"The longer that goes on, I reckon those offers might be a little less ridiculous, but United want these players off the books - they've made their bed and they've got to lie in it. They'll probably take anything from a quarter to a fifth of their asking price for some of them."