Manchester United even considering the possibility of selling Marcus Rashford is a long overdue shift in transfer strategy from the Old Trafford powerbrokers. A deal to let go of one of the club's brightest lights from the academy would have felt unthinkable for a long time.

Rashford was long the poster boy at Old Trafford, and having wracked up 426 appearances by the age of 27, all sorts of records were on the table for a player who was a boyhood United fan. But the relationship has been fraying for a while and it might now be a shrewd business decision to consider a departure, especially with the player opening the door for a move.

Whatever the off-pitch issues and concerns around Rashford, there is a dilemma on the pitch as well. For all his protestations, he isn't a natural fit in Ruben Amorim's 3-4-2-1 system and no longer commands a role in United's strongest XI. That is a problem when you are the squad's highest-paid player.

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Creating a market for Rashford won't be easy, given his form hasn't lived up to his salary for more than a year now, but as a one-time - and perhaps future - England international with a positive image, he will still have his suitors. Any fee United can bring in would be considered pure profit in the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules, and the salary savings would also be significant.

This is finally the heart ruling head for United when it comes to recruitment decisions, and it could come at a good time for Amorim as he tries to put his own stamp on the squad. He has done a good job of reshaping players to fit his system so far, but he will want specialists as well.

Funding any major work in the transfer market was always going to be difficult. Under Erik ten Hag, United spent £600m across three summer transfer windows and have now made a financial loss for five years in a row, at more than £370m. They have flirted with the line on the Premier League's PSR rules, are out of the Champions League this season, and might be again next season.

It has long been considered that the summer of 2025 will be the time Amorim gets to try and influence this squad, but if United can drum up a mid-season market for Rashford, then it might just be possible that the head coach can conduct some business in January, a window that United had expected to be quiet.

It might still be low-key, especially with the injury situation easing, but any movement of Rashford will change United's financial picture. It remains to be seen how easy it will be to find a solution.

The next four games before the window opens will better indicate Rashford's mindset and Amorim's thoughts about his role in the squad. A loan may still be the only viable option next month. But even that would bring in some profit and ease the wage burden in this squad.

If Amorim has decided that Rashford simply doesn't fit, whatever the reason, then offloading such a high earner to replace him with a player who is a more natural fit makes an awful lot of sense. The chance to start putting his own stamp on this squad might come earlier than expected for Amorim.