Marcus Rashford will hand Ruben Amorim perfect transfer gift for first major Man United signing

Marcus Rashford is at a crossroads after confirming his desire to leave Manchester United, but the club and player will leave behind a perfect transfer gift for his eventual replacement.

Speculation around Rashford, 27, and his much-talked-about-future at Old Trafford remains at fever pitch. The dust has settled on that bombshell interview with Henry Winter - in which the England forward revealed that he's ready for a new challenge - but an escape route has yet to be fathomed out for him.

AC Milan, Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli and PSG are among several European suitors to have been linked with a move for Rashford this month, while the man himself has rebuffed interest from the lucrative Saudi Arabian market - and Turkey.

The clock is ticking this January transfer window - which actually slams shut at 11pm on Monday, February 3 - so it might well be that a proper solution for club and player does not arise until next summer. Of course, there's scope for a loan move and things can always change quickly.

Rashford, who was once again omitted by Ruben Amorim for the Arsenal FA Cup win, continues to work hard on his fitness behind-the-scenes.

Still, it remains to be seen whether he has played his last game for United and what the immediate future holds for him.

In the long-term, Amorim will need to find a replacement. As and when he does, though, his wantaway star is set to leave behind a perfect transfer gift - in the club's famous No.10 shirt.

Rashford has been United's No.10 since 2018 when he picked up the shirt from Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Wayne Rooney was the owner of that particular shirt for a decade before that - and he needs no introduction at Old Trafford.

In the modern game, shirt numbers are an important thing for big-name players - especially when it comes to the promotion of their brand. United, not so long ago, underlined their faith in Mason Mount when adding gloss to his £60million switch from Premier League rivals Chelsea by assigning him the club's No.7 shirt.