He passed out after drinking a lot of tequila. The next day he woke up far from Manchester; so far that he had no way of making it to training. When he wanted to take the private jet after two nights in Belfast, it was already too late. It is no secret that Rashford has been struggling with off-field problems of late and that, as a professional, he has decided to put football aside. Bad idea. 

He returned from the Qatar World Cup on top of the world. Sixteen goals plus four assists in seventeen games. A tie against Barça where Rashford showed that he has the quality to be one of the best strikers in the world. At United, without any doubt disoriented and with no clear plan; now, having extended his contract until 2028, he is at loggerheads with Ten Haag and nowhere near in good enough form to be a franchise player who commands the highest salary. 

He has only scored four goals in his twenty-six appearances so far this season, all in the Premier League. A world away from his thirty goals and eleven assists in fifty-six games that he managed last season. His nights out are well-documented in the tabloids, missed training sessions hinder any chance of finding some consistency and his rift with Ten Haag is there for all to see. 

Extend your contract and your performance on the pitch suffers. Not to mention your dedication. Rashford wants another project, another idea; he could be the perfect fit for a Barça team in need of players capable of making a difference. What is clear is that United are still not competitive and have failed to bring in players to really grow the squad. Sancho rejoined Borussia Dortmund on loan a few days ago, while Antony’s scoring and assist tally is abysmal. The Brazilian, who is also facing serious allegations, is not in form. Martial, another record-breaking signing in his day, is injured and has not been able to have any real impact since arriving more than seven years ago. Rashford is also lost in a United squad where the midfielders – Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and McTominay – are scoring more goals than the forwards.