Arsenal linked with shock deadline day transfer raid for Man Utd star forward

Arsenal could reignite long-standing interest in Marcus Rashford this summer with surprise reports suggesting they are monitoring his situation at Manchester United.

Rashford was dropped for last weekend's 4-2 FA Cup win at Newport County after calling in sick to training on Friday, following a night out in Belfast with footballer friend Ro-Shaun Williams. ManchesterWorld understands that United were misled regarding the forward's whereabouts, believing he returned to the UK on Thursday.

After being fined £650,000 - equivalent to two weeks wages - Rashford will be involved in the squad for this evening's Premier League clash at Wolves and Erik ten Hag insisted on Wednesday that it was 'case closed'. But this is the second such incident in recent months and Football Insider reports that Arsenal are keeping a close eye on developments.

Mikel Arteta's side have long been keen on a potential move for Rashford, should an opportunity ever arise, and reportedly set aside £45million in the summer of 2022 in case such a scenario came to fruition. The forward has since enjoyed a 30-goal campaign and would cost far more.

Rashford also signed a new contract in July amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain, committing himself to United until 2028. But Ten Hag has taken a hardline stance on disciplinary issues in the past and it is not unrealistic to believe he could do similar, if it becomes an issue again.

Ten Hag did insist on Wednesday, however, that his main gripe with Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo - two previous exiles under the Dutchman - was their decision to go public with issues. Rashford's latest mishap was dealt with in-house.

PSG are thought to remain interested in Rashford and club president Nasser Al Khelaifi has made no secret of his admiration for the 26-year-old. The French giants look set to lose Kylian Mbappe for free once his contract expires and so could be left needing to fill a gap on the left-wing.

As it stands, United have no intention of selling Rashford, as proven by their decision to make him one of the club's best-paid stars with a long-term contract in the summer. He remains an ever-present in Ten Hag's squad and is expected to feature this evening.