Rio Ferdinand reveals the true reason why Marcus Rashford is desperate to leave Man Utd this month

Marcus Rashford is facing a race against time to seal an exit from Manchester United this month and Rio Ferdinand has revealed more about his future.

Rashford’s future remains unclear with just days remaining in the January transfer window and links to the likes of Barcelona and AC Milan going cold.

The former England international gave an explosive interview at the end of December admitting he was ‘ready for a new challenge’ and expects there to be ‘no hard feelings’ if he does depart.

Rashford was omitted from Ruben Amorim’s squad once again for the win against Fulham with the United boss suggesting he would rather pick the club’s goalkeeping coach rather than a player who is not training to their fullest.

A loan deal to Barcelona is believed to be Rashford’s first-choice, as per the Mirror, but with no deal in the pipeline, the 27-year-old runs the risk of being stuck at Old Trafford out of favour until the end of the season.

Ex-United defender Rio Ferdinand discussed Rashford’s situation in a column for the Daily Mail and claims his exit is a result of mounting pressure as one of the club's biggest stars.

“Manchester United, also people around Marcus, need to make sure that he leaves in the best tact mentally as well as physically,” Ferdinand said. “Mentally more importantly because I think he's been over-scrutinised for a few years now.

“But that also comes in the territory of being a Manchester United player. And when you're held up as one of the faces of the club then that is part and parcel unfortunately of being at Man United.

“I think it's always easy for everyone else to assume and think what he should do but I think only Marcus and his team know what are the benefits of staying in Manchester or at United.

“What's going to be beneficial for him leaving? But then the question is where do you go? So there are a lot of questions that need answering but only he is going to be able to do that.”

Marcus Rashford faces the prospect of staying at Manchester United (Getty)

Ferdinand added: “The only thing I would be advising him on — if I was his advisor — is he is never going to be 100 per cent certain that the decision he makes at this crossroads is right. He is going to do something — whether he goes or stays — and when he makes that decision he will still not be 100 per cent sure.”

Before the win against Fulham, Amorim admitted there was no update on Rashford’s future with deadline day fast approaching.

"I don't know,” he said. ”I really don't know. Guys, it's eight days (until the end of the window). We will see in the end of the window what happened. And then we will talk about it in that moment."

Rashford has already rejected three offers from clubs in Saudi Arabia and is not interested in a move to Turkey where the window doesn’t close until February 11.