MARCUS RASHFORD is set for a showdown with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos staff to get to the bottom of his struggling season.
The forward’s form has slumped and he has painted a dejected figure around Old Trafford.
United are now willing to listen to offers of over £80million.
Rashford wants to stay and new part-owner Ratcliffe has not given up on him and first wants to find out why the star has hit rock bottom.
He also wants to resolve any issues with boss Erik ten Hag.
Ratcliffe’s right-hand man Sir Dave Brailsford is likely to head the meeting with the 26-year-old player and his representatives.
Rashford posted career-best figures of 30 goals for United last season but has only eight this campaign and is no longer a guaranteed starter and is regularly subbed.
That has left a question mark over his England spot for the Euros.
Rashford’s relationship with Ten Hag has crumbled mainly due to the player’s partying.
The boss is furious he has ignored warnings over his off-pitch lifestyle.
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He celebrated his birthday at Manchester nightclub Chinawhite following the 3-0 home derby defeat to City in October.
Ten Hag called him into his office to voice his displeasure at that.
But Rashford partied again, this time in Belfast until the early hours of Friday, January 26, when he was supposed to be training later that day.
He flew back to Manchester on a private plane but called in sick.
Rashford was dropped from the squad for that Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Newport after Ten Hag learnt of the background to his absence.
Since then, the player and manager have barely spoken other than matchday instructions.
But Rashford does not want to leave and, as revealed in yesterday by SunSport, will resist all attempts to sell him.
A potential £80m sale of academy star Rashford would all count as profit under financial rules.
But he is on £325,000 a week until 2028 and he may insist that is paid up if he is forced out.
United fans have lost patience and he was booed off when subbed in the FA Cup semi-final against Coventry.
Away from the pitch, Rashford was spotted cosying up to Colombian model Erica Correa at a trendy Manchester nightclub over the weekend.
By Dave Kidd
MUCH guffawing when Erik ten Hag proclaimed his Manchester United side as “one of the most dynamic and entertaining teams” in the Premier League after a 1-1 home draw with Burnley.
But I agree with him.
This season I’ve watched live as United beat Liverpool and Wolves 4-3, drew 3-3 with Coventry and Galatasaray and lost 4-3 at Bayern Munich and Copenhagen.
I also watched on telly as they were beaten 4-3 at Chelsea.
As a neutral, I can’t remember seeing any team involved in quite so many mental matches during the course of one season.
The problem is Ten Hag isn’t there to produce chaotic entertainment for the likes of me, he’s there to make Manchester United successful and make their fans happy — which is an entirely different metric.
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