Joe Cole would like to see Marcus Rashford play in Italy.
Rashford has been with Manchester United for the entirety of his professional career but the forward has found playing time hard to come by under former manager Erik ten Hag and new boss Ruben Amorim. That has led to speculation that Rashford would seek a loan move away from Old Trafford, with clubs from the Premier League, Serie A and the Bundesliga linked to the 27-year-old.
While Cole feels a departure from his hometown club will be good for Rashford, the retired England midfielder believes Serie A is where Rashford will find a career resurgence.
“It’s the right time for Marcus Rashford to move on," Cole said while speaking to Paddy Power. "He’s been a wonderful player for Manchester United but he’s in a very, very difficult spell.
“It’s time for him to revitalise his career and I'd like to see him play in Italy, to be honest. The German league is great, but the Italian league is slightly stronger, and he could play for some great clubs.
“He’s a wonderful player but the time has come for him to move on. It’s the opposite situation to Trent Alexander-Arnold, in that if you’re Marcus, and need a change, you need to go in January.
“Manchester United have been very clear with where they want to go without him. Message heeded, go somewhere and go with fire in your belly. I just want to see him playing his best football because when he’s on his top form, he’s a top, top player.”