Former Man Utd star urges Ruben Amorim to reintegrate Marcus Rashford

Former Manchester United star Juan Mata still has hope that Marcus Rashford can have a future with the club, saying it is win-win for the forward and the Red Devils to find a solution.

Rashford looks set to leave Old Trafford this summer after spending the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa.

The Villains will not be making the move permanent, with the England international hoping to secure a switch to Barcelona.

That is the forward’s desired move, but whether the cash-strapped Catalans are as keen is yet to be seen.

Barcelona wanted Nico Williams, but he has signed a new deal with Athletic Bilbao, and are also chasing Liverpool’s Luis Diaz.

Bayern Munich have also been linked with Rashford, but the problem for any interested party is that he is on enormous wages at Manchester United which other clubs can’t or won’t match.

Mata is still holding out hope that the 27-year-old can improve his relations with United boss Ruben Amorim and work his way back into contention at Old Trafford.

It seems extremely unlikely at this stage, but the Spaniard reckons that it would be a ‘win-win’ for player and club if they can find a way to get the best out of the striker again.

‘I saw his first training with us. I love him. As a kid, I called him “the wonderkid”,’ Mata told The Athletic. ‘The way he played was fearless, you could feel he could win a game by himself at any time when he was playing at his best.

‘As a Man United fan and as a friend of Marcus, I wish that he can succeed here because it’s his club, his boyhood club.

‘I don’t know what’s going to happen but if he stays and he can actually be happy and enjoy, I think it will be a win-win situation for both the club and him.’

With Rashford’s shirt number being given to new signing Matheus Cunha and the the exiled striker being told to stay away from pre-season training, Mata is unlikely to get his wish.

Some of the Manchester United squad returned to training on Monday, including Cunha, but Rashford was instructed not to report.

He is not the only player in this situation, with Jadon Sancho, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho and Tyrell Malacia all ousted from training as the club look to sell them this summer.

New arrivals Cunha and Diego Leon were present at training on Monday, alongside the likes of Mason Mount, Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee.

Manchester United begin their pre-season fixtures when they play Leeds in Stockholm on July 19.

There is then a trip to America for the Premier League Summer Series, where they play West Ham, Bournemouth and Everton from July 27-August 3.