Kylian Mbappe reportedly wanted Paris Saint-Germain to sign Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford or one of three alternatives this summer.
The French giants have gone through a turbulent spell in the past year, subsequently changing their manager. While Mauricio Pochettino inspired another Ligue 1 triumph, he could not deliver in the Champions League.
Christophe Galtier therefore became the new PSG manager in early July and orchestrated several summer signings.
Four of them came in midfield, including former Napoli man Fabian Ruiz and Portugal star Renato Sanches.
Although, RMC Sport now claims that France talisman Mbappe wanted a new ‘world-class’ striker to work alongside. And Man Utd star Rashford was on the list of targets he reportedly handed to club chiefs.
Gianluca Scamacca, who West Ham signed from Sassuolo, was also on Mbappe’s radar.
Completing the shortlist were Robert Lewandowski, who left Bayern Munich for Barcelona, and Lyon marksman Moussa Dembele.
In the end, PSG went for Reims striker Hugo Ekitike on loan. The former Newcastle target opted to move across France instead.
And PSG sporting director Luis Campos slammed his side’s business upon reflection over the transfer window.
Campos said the Parisians “did not have a good transfer window” because there was a lack of “the desired balance or perfection”.
Rashford progressing at Man Utd
As for Rashford’s future, the 24-year-old has one year left on his contract with a one-year option on top of that.
The England international has got back into a good vein of form following a struggle last season.
Indeed, he underwent shoulder surgery after Euro 2020 and could not maintain a fast start upon his return.
Rashford cut a frustrated figure for much of the last campaign, but Erik ten Hag has got him back to somewhere closer to his best.
Former Man Utd striker Andy Cole lauded boss Ten Hag for getting Rashford to focus on what he does best.
The England international is now in a race to prove his credentials ahead of the World Cup.
He has lost his place in Gareth Southgate’s plans since Euro 2020, with newbies Jarrod Bowen and Ivan Toney both getting call-ups up front instead.
However, Rashford has 48 caps for England and has performed well for Southgate before, so he will be itching to make it at the World Cup.
He had previous links with PSG and Barcelona before this summer and it does still remain unclear if he will sign a new contract.
This season is a big one for him to prove his worth in Ten Hag’s project and lay down a marker for his future.
