Erik ten Hag tells Marcus Rashford to stay at Manchester United

Rashford Manchester United
Rashford Manchester United

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has praised Marcus Rashford comparing the England attacker to Paris Saint-Germain and French forward Kylian Mbappe.

Rashford has been in fine form this season and has become one of the most important players under Ten Hag. He was part of the England side that crashed out of the World Cup in Qatar, scoring three goals during the Three Lions’ run to the quarter finals. 

Speaking about Rashford, Ten Hag compared him to Mbappe and also revealed that he is determined to convince the player to stay at Manchester United instead of replacing the France star at Paris Saint-Germain.

“From the first moment, I recognised huge potential,” ten Hag said as reported by Sportsmail

“When Marcus is on the back of the defending line, there is almost no better player in the world. It’s really difficult to stop him.

“There is Mbappe in this moment. When he (Rashford) is getting in that position, he’s great and he’s really improved.”

Mbappe is reportedly looking to leave PSG despite agreeing to a three-year contract in the summer, and the club chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi last week confirmed that talks have taken place with Rashford’s agents.

However, Manchester United are desperate to keep Rashford beyond his current deal. The Old Trafford side will trigger a 12-month extension on the 25-year-old’s contract before the end of the month if they cannot persuade to sign a new deal, stopping him from being able to open talks with foreign clubs from January 1. 

Speaking about the situation with Rashford’s contract, Ten Hag revealed he cannot tie the player down.

“He has to make a decision,” said Ten Hag in response to PSG’s interest. 

“We can only show him that this is the best club to be in.

“It has to do with the culture of the club, but also in the way we are working together. It has to do with the way we play and the way we train. Are we offering the right environment to progress further?”

Ten Hag also praised Rashford’s attitude, pointing out that the player is a joy to work with. 

“Marcus was one from the start who came with a smile to Carrington and left with a smile,’ he added. ‘From the first moment, it was a joy to work with him. I believe he is happy.”