Arsenal's Frantic Search for Left Winger After Martinelli's Departure
Arsenal’s search for a new left winger has turned frantic after Gabriel Martinelli’s departure to Al-Hilal – and a bold late enquiry for Marcus Rashford has hit a dead end.
The Evening Standard reports that Arsenal sounded out a shock loan move for the Manchester United forward ahead of Tuesday night’s deadline. The approach was completely separate from their ongoing push to prise Julian Alvarez away, a parallel chase rather than a fallback plan.
Rashford’s answer was simple: no.
Rashford shuts the door
At one stage this summer, a permanent exit from Old Trafford looked almost certain. After spending last season on loan at Barcelona and Aston Villa, Rashford’s United future appeared to be drifting away. He favoured a return to Catalonia, and his contract contained a £26 million release clause that made the deal look straightforward on paper.
Barcelona walked away. They chose to reshape their attack with Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi instead of triggering Rashford’s clause, closing off the route he wanted most.
The rejection from Spain did not dry up his market. According to The Times, Champions League side Fenerbahce pushed hard to make Rashford their headline signing of the summer. They were serious, they were ready, and they were told no. Rashford made it clear he has no intention of heading to the Super Lig.
With Arsenal now rebuffed as well, the door that once seemed to be closing on his United career has swung back open.
Carrick’s influence and a reset at United
United, faced with a limited pool of realistic buyers, have decided they are happy to keep their academy product. Rashford’s £325,000-a-week wages have scared off most clubs who might otherwise have stepped in, forcing the 26-year-old to reassess his next move.
The key factor in that reassessment is Michael Carrick.
The relationship between player and head coach has become central to this sudden shift. Rashford returned to the pitch in the defeat to Hull City, coming on at half-time for Patrick Dorgu, and that appearance reflected a deeper change behind the scenes.
Carrick has been struck by the forward’s attitude since rejoining the group. Speaking about Rashford’s work since linking back up with Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez in Dublin, the manager said: “It’s been pretty obvious since Marcus came back training with Kobbie [Mainoo] and Licha [Martinez] pretty much in Dublin that he’s come back fantastically well, you know.”
That endorsement matters. It has effectively pulled Rashford back into the core of the first-team picture, not as a reluctant stay-behind, but as someone Carrick believes he can build with.
Arsenal race the clock, Rashford eyes Old Trafford return
While Rashford settles on staying put, Arsenal are left scrambling. Martinelli’s exit has ripped out a key piece of Mikel Arteta’s attacking structure, and the club now have only hours to find a replacement capable of slotting straight into a title-chasing squad.
Their pursuit of Alvarez continues, but with the clock ticking towards Tuesday night’s deadline, every missed target ramps up the pressure on the Emirates hierarchy.
Rashford, meanwhile, turns his attention back to the pitch. He is aiming to feature when Manchester United host Ipswich Town on Sunday, a fixture that carries more weight for him than the opposition might suggest.
If selected, it will be his first appearance at Old Trafford since December 2024. A player who seemed destined to leave now walks back into the stadium he grew up in, under a manager who has publicly backed him, with a fanbase waiting to see which version of Marcus Rashford they are getting this time.
