Man Utd told to put struggling Marcus Rashford 'out of his misery' by former Red Devil amid talk club is ready to cut £40m-rated attacker loose in January transfer window

United need to balance their books to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and it has been reported that the Red Devils are prioritising player sales in January to alleviate financial pressure. Rashford’s homegrown status makes him a significant asset in that regard as selling him would register as pure profit on the club’s financial records.

Rashford has managed only four goals in 15 Premier League appearances during the 2024-25 campaign and United are reportedly willing to let him leave for as little as £40 million ($51 million). Nonetheless, United will be happy to part ways with the striker even at a discounted rate as questions remain over his role under Ruben Amorim.

Speaking candidly in an interview with Betfred about Rashford’s struggles, Parker expressed disappointment over the England international’s apparent lack of consistency and leadership at a crucial stage in his career.

"Any other player, it would have been done and dusted by now," he said. "It’s been going on for too long. Most other players would have been put out of their misery and one of the saddest things in football is seeing talent go to waste because the player can’t be bothered. That’s what’s happening with Marcus Rashford."

He added: "He’s 27 now and you can’t keep switching it on and off. He can’t be called a kid. He’s supposed to be a mature player now that leads his teammates along the way, especially because he’s a local lad. If you ask him to lead the way, I believe three-year-olds wouldn’t even follow him at the moment. There’s nothing about him that suggests he wants to be a footballer and a Manchester United player."

Rashford's performances have seen him relegated to the bench in recent league matches against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest but he did return to the starting lineup in United’s Europa League clash against Viktoria Plzen, only to be hooked off before the hour mark after another anonymous outing. United’s next test comes on Sunday when they face cross-city rivals Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. It remains to be seen whether Amorim will trust Rashford to start in this high-stakes derby as the pressure on him to deliver is gradually building up.