Man United transfer, Arsenal move - Marcus Rashford verdict after England bombshell decision

Marcus Rashford is set to be excluded from England's provisional Euro 2024 squad after his disappointing season with Manchester United.

The 26-year-old has been a constant in the Three Lions' squads over the years having been a regular under Gareth Southgate. He helped them reach the final of the competition in 2021 and played a key part in reaching the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup.

However, he is set to face a summer at home after not making the cut in Southgate's provisional 30-man squad. Rashford will join the likes of Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell in missing out ahead of the tournament in Germany.

READ MORE: Erik ten Hag gives Marcus Rashford update after heated argument with Manchester United fan

READ MORE: 'Not world class' Marcus Rashford told to leave Man Utd for himself – and the club

After scoring 30 goals for United in the 2022/23 season, Rashford has performed way under his best standards in the past 12 months. In one of the worst Premier League seasons in the club's history, the forward managed just eight goals in 42 appearances.

The blow of missing out on the international tournament is the latest setback for Rashford. With uncertainty over his long-term future at Old Trafford, what is next for the United academy graduate?

MEN Sport writers give their thoughts on Southgate's decision to axe Rashford and where he goes from here.

Josh Holland

In every tournament squad announcement there is one player that misses out and it's a huge talking point. Marcus Rashford is that case study this season yet it's hardly surprising.

Anyone who has watched United in action this season knows how much the forward has struggled. Despite the minimum moments of quality, he hasn't been good enough and his form warrants a ruthless decision like this.

He's usually been a nailed-on star for England but his overall game has plummeted. There's no doubt that he is a talented player but there are fears that this could be another chapter in the fall from grace for Rashford.

The likes of Anthony Gordon, Eberechi Eze, Ollie Watkins and Jarrod Bowen all come into the tournament on the back of superb individual seasons and are more likely to carry that into the tournament. I've always viewed Rashford as an option off the bench for England, certainly now with Cole Palmer and Phil Foden nailed-on starters, but there are simply better players.

He must now reassess his options going forward. The blow of missing out for England will hurt but he has to get his club football back on track to prove Southgate wrong.

Tom Coley

Can Rashford really argue with this? It looks like Southgate is moving away from some of his tried and tested England picks over the years - yes, Maguire will still be in there but his performances for club and country warrant it more than Rashford, and there is a dearth of options at centre-back compared to going forward - and it feels like a good thing.

There are too many good players that are in form to ignore. Ollie Watkins as a versatile channel runner and left-wing option over Rashford is a player more clinical and having the time of his life. If that frees up a spot elsewhere for a point of difference maker with Toney, then so be it.

It has been eight years since Rashford announced himself for England and there can't be many complaints this time around. There has never been such a wealth of attacking talent as ready as this current group. The individual success of the group across Europe has outdone that of previous years.

The task is now to make this work in a cohesive team and squad environment across four weeks in a major competition. Rashford will miss out and will struggle through the blow like others around him, who knows, it may even push him towards a transfer this summer.

Tom Doyle

Although Rashford has had a poor season for United, missing Euro 2024 will come as a genuine shock to the player and truly shows how far his stock has fallen.

The hard truth for Rashford is that Southgate is blessed with generational talents in attack, and he is well down the pecking order - even taking in to account his past successes for both club and country.

Southgate doggedly stuck by Harry Maguire while the defender lost form and, eventually, the United captaincy, but the England boss never wavered over the centre-back's importance for his country. Could Rashford's off-field exploits have tipped the scales in Southgate's thinking here?

The simple fact is that players who have had better seasons (and better attitudes) than Rashford are also missing out, so he is not alone in his disappointment - but this is a serious wake-up call at a critical point in his career.

It is also a warning sign for United that Rashford joins Jadon Sancho in the England wilderness, when the club would have reasonably expected both to be talismanic starters for club and country not too long ago.

Richard Cusack

There can't be much surprise about Rashford's omission from Southgate's squad, but at the same time it is a shock to see such a big name miss out on a place at Euro 2024

The big worry for Rashford is that Southgate has finally shown that he is ready to move in a slightly newer direction, with Jordan Henderson missing out too.

Such are the options on offer to the England boss, Rashford really has to be in form to count on a Euro 2024 spot and that just has not happened this season.

What this does now is open up the chance of a move for the player, who will not be in the tournament bubble and the June 30 unofficial FFP deadline is now a very realistic opportunity for United to move him on.

At 26, Rashford still has a lot to offer but needs to show it more consistently to avoid being left behind altogether.

Dominic Booth

Take away any kind of United bias and the simple fact is Marcus Rashford does not merit inclusion in the England squad for Euro 2024.

It's been a far worse club season for Rashford than anyone could have imagined. His record of seven goals in 33 Premier League appearances, which includes two penalties, actually flatters him.

Gareth Southgate has myriad options in Rashford's position so the England boss has done the logical thing and selected other players ahead of the United man. It will always be a big story when a player of Rashford's profile misses out on a tournament, but it's a surprise to nobody that he's missed out this time.

Stephen Killen

The Three Lions boss has been accused to sticking to his favourites and including them in squads, despite a lack of form and/or being out of favour. In what could be his final competition in the hotseat it is a bold move but in terms of Marcus Rashford, it isn’t really.

His United form has been a concern and his role in the England squad has been consistently fading. The likes of Bukayo Saka, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Jarrod Bowen have emerged as more viable options in the wide-attacking spots plus the emergence of Eberechi Eze - who has been called up - there are more threatening options with better qualities in that department.

You wonder whether this is the beginning of the end of his international career for England. Unless his club form improves at or away from Old Trafford, you fear it very well may be.

Tyrone Marshall

This isn’t the first time Marcus Rashford has been dropped by England. Last season he has fought away back into the squad by enjoying the season of his life at United but that increasingly feels like a one-off.

His performance levels have plummeted this season and the competition in attacking areas is vibrant. Anthony Gordon has offered more in the Premier League this season and Ivan Toney is a better third-choice striker. That is just where Rashford is at the moment.

It might be surprising he doesn’t have make what is a provisional squad before it’s cut to 26, that is probably an indication that he was never going to make it in the 26 so why keep him around now? Maybe the long summer break will help him.

His body language and off-pitch issues this season are also warning signs when it comes to tournament football, especially for a player who is only likely to be on the fringes. You need good tourists in that situation and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Gareth Southgate had concerns about that.

George Smith

With an embarrassment of riches in attack, Gareth Southgate was going to have to leave someone out. And Marcus Rashford, based on his performances this season, can have no complaints.

His performance levels have taken a significant nosedive this term, resulting in him scoring just eight goals in all competitions for United. Southgate, correctly, has cited his form as the sole reason behind his commission from the squad and it is impossible to disagree with the England boss.

The fact he has been left out of the provisional squad ahead of Southgate cutting his final squad down to just 26 players tells you everything about how out of favour he currently is. As painful as it will be for him to watch this summer's tournament from home, you would hope that will serve as his motivation to get his career back on track at Old Trafford next season and reclaim his place in the England squad as soon as possible.

Isaac Seelochan

The right decision for England and Rashford who could perhaps do with a wake-up call after a season of drift. He's not the only one you could say that about at United of course.

Time will tell if the academy graduate will come anywhere near last season’s form again. But make no mistake that if his name wasn’t Marcus Rashford then he would be anywhere near the Three Lions squad based on this season’s form.

It came as a surprise to me considering Southgate's previous form of picking player’s based on reputation. However, it’s a good sign for England that in his final tournament, the England manager has been ruthless in choosing who he takes. Rashford can have no complaints and I’m sure he privately agrees.