Sky journalist reveals Man Utd 'strongly interested' in £45m player as Marcus Rashford swap deal opens up

Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford has been linked with a move to PSG as the potential for a ‘swap deal’ emerges.

Rashford, 27, was left out of United’s squad by Ruben Amorim for Sunday’s 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium against rivals Manchester City.

Earlier last week, reports from The Telegraph suggested that United were ‘open to selling’ Rashford amid ‘concerns surrounding his ‘lifestyle choices’.

When discussing the topic on Wednesday morning, Amorim took a diplomatic approach and even explained how he wanted to “help him [Marcus Rashford]" despite conceding that he had not had the chance to speak to the player after allowing the United squad a day off on Tuesday.

This came after Rashford broke his silence, revealing how he was “ready for a new challenge” when discussing his future with Henry Winter on Tuesday.

It is widely known that several clubs, including PSG and Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad, are ‘interested’ in the United forward with the Paris-based club being long term 'admirers' of the England international.

If Rashford were to leave, United could replace him with out-of-favour PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani, who only joined the club in the summer of 2023 for a reported 76.4m.

But it is another one of the French champions’ players who could be used as part of a ‘swap deal’ between United and PSG.

Nuno Mendes could be used as part of a potential 'swap' deal (Credit:Getty)

“Paris Saint-Germain want to extend with [Nuno] Mendes beyond 2026, but I’ve been told that it is currently not planned for him to sign soon, as there are many top suitors,” Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg posted to X.

“Mendes and Amorim share the same agency, and #MUFC are aware of Mendes’ situation!”

Mendes, 22, is valued at £45m as per Transfermarkt and could be used as leverage if the Ligue 1 outfit were to ramp up their interest in Rashford.

A fee plus the Mendes swap would be the most likely approach, but no such talks have been confirmed by either club at this time.

Although some United fans would rather not see an academy graduate leave, the gain may outweigh the loss in this situation. First-choice left-back Luke Shaw has been ravaged by injury troubles in recent times – he sustained a setback ahead of United’s 2-0 loss against Arsenal on December 4.

Amorim has opted for usual right-sided full-back Diogo Dalot as a left wing-back in recent games, but a ‘true’ left-sided defender like Nunes could provide a more permanent solution to the dilemma.