Man Utd forward Marcus Rashford sent transfer message amid Chelsea talk

Chelsea should not try to pursue Manchester United star Marcus Rashford as they can't afford another expensive mistake, according to former Blues star Pat Nevin .

With a new regime overseeing day to day operations at Old Trafford under Sir Jim Ratcliffe and a host of new executives and directors, it has been reported the majority of Manchester United's squad could be available this summer. That includes England international Rashford, whose poor form has seen him linked with a move away from his boyhood club.

Barcelona and PSG have shown interest in the forward, while Chelsea has also cropped up on the list of potential suitors. But former Chelsea and Everton forward Nevin says a deal for Rashford could prove disastrous, as he could become another signing who demands a vast fee but fails to perform.

READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news LIVE: Marc Guehi price set, Leny Yoro decision, Mohamed Simakan tracked
READ MORE: Marc Guehi has already made feelings on Liverpool clear as Reds step up $84m transfer interest

Speaking to Genting Casinos , Nevin said: "There is a fear when I think about Marcus Rashford going to Chelsea. He is a good player, but he had several difficulties last season and hasn't looked quite himself."

"You're also going to have to pay a huge amount of money for Rashford and Chelsea can't afford to make more mistakes financially, that's no secret. You need to make sure you do this right. I have no idea what sort of Chelsea team we could see by the start of next season, could Mudryk be gone too? There's a million different things. The upside for every Chelsea fan is that there are good players there."

Many of Chelsea's big-money signings have failed to make an impact at the club in recent seasons. Romelu Lukaku, who was re-signed from Inter Milan for £95million, has been hugely disappointing and is being linked with a move away this summer. Others, like Wesley Fofana, Kepa Arrizabalaga, and Mykhaylo Mudryk, who cost a combined nearly £200 million, have also not lived up to expectations.

Should Manchester United sell Marcus Rashford this summer? Let us know in the comments section below.

With a valuation of around £80million, Rashford falls within the same price range as many of these signings. The temptation to lure the player, who is contracted to United until 2028, could lead Chelsea to repeat the mistake they made with Lukaku, for example.

Another issue that arises when such signings don't perform is the long-term contracts the club has offered them, something which Tom Bason, football finance expert at the University of Coventry believes can land teams in hot water.

"Where Chelsea are potentially falling foul is that because they've had such long contracts, relatively little value is dropping off each year," explained Bason. "So say someone like Mudryk, for example, say he cost £80million on an eight-year contract, he loses £10million a year. Call it 18 months [since the transfer], he'd now be valued at £65million in the accounts."

"That means for Chelsea to make any sort of profit from moving him on, they have to sell him for more than £65million. So that's perhaps an issue that Chelsea has got by having such long contracts and if a player does not work, they are amortising less each year and are retaining a higher value in the books."

All of that will be news to the ears of United fans, who will be keen to keep Rashford. The 26-year-old is one of the club's own, having come through their academy and emerged as one their key players over the last decade.

While last season didn't quite go how he and United would have liked Rashford managed just eight goals in 43 appearances and both parties will be hoping for better this coming season. The Three Lions striker enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career under Erik ten Hag during the 2022/23 campaign, bagging 30 goals in 56 appearances.

United fans and Rashford alike will be hoping he can replicate that form next time around. But only if he remains at Old Trafford at the start by the middle of August.

Liverpool.com says: "No one knows what Chelsea will do in the transfer market. In fact, we don't even know if Chelsea know. The fact is, on his day, Rashford is one of the best wide forwards in the world and United know that.

"It feels unlikely United would want to give that up, especially to a direct rivals. Then there's also the PSR considerations. If you're Chelsea, why would you want to give £80m to a direct rival who have just had to negotiate with Bologna to pay for Joshua Zirkzee in instalments? It makes no sense."