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Manchester United are keen to extend Marcus Rashford's contract and will make it a priority despite the player's poor form, according to a report by ESPN. The 24-year-old's current contract with the Red Devils runs until June 2023, and there's also an option to extend it by another 12 months.
The club want to get done with the negotiations soon and avoid situations similar to that of Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard. Both these United stars have entered the last six months of their contracts and are expected to leave this summer on a free transfer.
However, the club aren't ready to let Rashford go despite the player struggling with injuries and a loss of form this season.
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The Englishman has scored just thrice in the campaign so far, a form which interim manager Ralf Rangnick said was inexplicable after their recent FA Cup win over Aston Villa.
Rashford burst onto the scene as a talented 17-year-old in 2016 with a brace against Midtjylland, rising to prominence thereafter with a series of talismanic displays.
In more recent times, he's also become a national hero for his efforts to raise awareness about child hunger, poverty and homelessness in the United Kingdom.
However, with the player's form going horribly awry this season, United have reportedly urged him to focus on improving his on-field performances. Rashford hit a new low when United fans booed him off after the recent Villa match.
He's now without a goal in all competitions since October last year, when the forward scored in a 3-0 Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur.
Manchester United play Aston Villa again, on Sunday in the Premier League.
Manchester United must pull out all the stops to keep Rashford
Rashford's current form may be disappointing but he's a club icon, having delivered on the biggest stages in the past. Since his breakout nearly six years ago, he's struck 91 times for the club in all competitions, including 57 in the league, with no United player scoring more during this period.
He's only 24 right now and has yet to hit his peak. A new contract could see Rashford continue at Old Trafford when he's in his prime and it's a prospect that United must pull out all the stops for.
