Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says the club did not go to the trouble of getting Marcus Rashford to sign a long-term contract just so they could sell him in the summer.
Rashford signed a new deal until 2028 in July but his future at the club has become a hot topic.
“He should be part of this project,” said Ten Hag. “It is not a subject we talk about.”
Rashford has scored seven goals in 27 Premier League appearances this season.
“We did not sign him last season for five years with the intention to sell him now,” added Ten Hag.
The 26-year-old Rashford has endured a difficult campaign on and off the pitch.
In January he was disciplined by Ten Hag after going out without permission on a trip to Belfast. Rashford then reported an illness that prevented him from training on his return from Northern Ireland.
That combination of ill-discipline and loss of form has led to speculation about a move away from Old Trafford.
French giants Paris St-Germain have repeatedly been linked with Rashford in the wake of Kylian Mbappe’s expected move to Real Madrid, even though United sources have rubbished the chances of an approach.
However, the talk has been given credence by the knowledge United are restricted in their transfer dealings by the Premier League’s financial rules and the best way of creating space would be to sell a home-grown player because the entire fee would be treated as pure profit.
Rashford’s goals output has increased recently, scoring five times in his last 11 appearances and finding the net in United’s last two games.
It is over a year since he scored in three successive matches, although Ten Hag could do with that run ending in Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool – a side that beat them 7-0 in March 2023 and are still on track to win four competitions.
“Some games are bigger than others,” said Ten Hag. “Manchester United-Liverpool is definitely big, especially when it’s the quarter-final of the FA Cup.
“We’re looking forward. It’s a special game, absolutely.”
