Ruben Amorim 'demands' Man Utd make key signing which could see Marcus Rashford leave Old Trafford in sensational swap deal

Ruben Amorim may have only just arrived at Old Trafford but reports are suggesting he is already eyeing a big swap deal to help his playing system which would see Marcus Rashford depart Manchester United.

The Portuguese has replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag at United, joining from Sporting on a two-and-a-half year deal.

Amorim's first game in charge of United came over the weekend as the Reds travelled to Portman Road to take on Ipswich Town as the Premier League resumed after the international break.

United could not have got off to a better start under Amorim when Rashford scored the opener after just 81 seconds.

But the spoils were shared as Omari Hutchinson netted for the hosts before half-time to ensure Amorim's maiden game in charge of United would not end in victory.

Having arrived mid-season, Amorim will have to work with the squad he has at his disposal for at least another month before the January transfer window opens and the opportunity to make changes can be taken advantage of, though realistically next summer is the time when any major business is likely to be done.

One thing that appears certain with Amorim is employing a 3-4-3 formation at Old Trafford which worked so well at Sporting, and that was on show at Portman Road with Amad Diallo and Diogo Dalot fulfilling the wing-back positions.

Manchester United's Marcus Rashford. (Image: Getty)

The position is a key one in that formation and senior options who can potentially play that role in the current United squad include Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, though the latter pair have only recently returned from injury.

With both Shaw and Malacia being left-sided players and having injury records which count against them, reports from Spain cited by Football365 claim that new United boss Amorim has 'demanded' the signing of Paris Saint-Germain's left-back Nuno Mendes.

Amorim knows the player having managed Mendes at Sporting, before the latter's switch in 2021 to PSG, initially on loan before the deal was made permanent.

Rashford meanwhile is under contract at United until the summer of 2028 following a deal agreed on the back of the 2022/23 season in which he scored 30 goals in all competitions.

In common with United since last season, Rashford has struggled for form and scored only 13 goals since the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign until now.

Prior to Rashford signing his latest United contract, PSG was the most common destination cited for the forward should he depart Old Trafford.

And according to the same reports now, PSG are said to have contacted Rashford's entourage about a potential switch to the Parc des Princes and could see him fill the void left by Kylian Mbappe's recent departure to Real Madrid.

A swap deal could therefore being the offing which would see Mendes and Rashford swap Paris for Manchester and vice versa.

Though it is far from certain, the next few months could be crucial to seeing whether Amorim feels Rashford has a future at Old Trafford or not.