Marcus Rashford to Arsenal transfer message sent as Mikel Arteta already knows £65m truth

Former Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre has advised Manchester United to keep Marcus Rashford this summer. The Gunners have been linked to a sensational move for the 26-year-old following on from his challenging 2023/24 campaign.

Having managed just eight goals and five assists in 38 appearances, compared to his total of 40 goal contributions from the previous season, Rashford has been linked to a potential Old Trafford exit. Paris Saint-Germain, in the market for a Kylian Mbappe replacement, are one club interested in signing the England international.

Alongside the French giants, Arsenal has been mooted as a potential destination for Rashford, although Silvestre believes he is better off staying at United. "Letting Rashford go would not be the right decision because you need to go in the market and find someone better than Marcus, if that's the case," he told bettingexpert.com.

"If you find that player he will be very expensive. Marcus is a senior, experienced Mancunian from the academy. I think he wants to stay. The manager likes him. I just hope Marcus bounces back this season.” With the message clear to Erik ten Hag, it is very likely Rashford stays at his boyhood club, though Mikel Arteta making a push to sign him cannot be ruled out.

12 months ago, Kai Havertz shockingly emerged as an Arsenal transfer target despite enduring a tough season with Chelsea. A few weeks after the initial interest was made clear, Havertz joined Arsenal in a £65million deal that was mocked only for the 25-year-old to bag 21 goal contributions and become a crucial part of Arteta's starting XI.

As such, the Gunners enquiring over Rashford absolutely cannot be ruled out, but it will likely require a premium fee to sign him. With the summer window open for the next 50 or so days, Arteta was asked about the club's transfer plans, and his answer was a telling of what was to come.

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"I think both ways [players coming in and going out of the club], he told ESPN. "There are things that we have to improve, that's for sure and we are going to try to. But the market is tricky.

"We have been very aggressive, we are very determined and we have a clear idea obviously of what we want to do. It will come down to finding the right agreements at the right time."