Arsenal's Left Winger Search Intensifies After Martinelli's Exit

Arsenal’s search for a left winger has turned frantic after Gabriel Martinelli’s surprise move to Al-Hilal – and a bold late enquiry for Marcus Rashford has hit a dead end.

The Evening Standard reports that Arsenal explored a shock loan move for the Manchester United forward ahead of Tuesday night’s deadline. The approach was completely separate from their ongoing chase of Julian Alvarez, underlining just how urgently Mikel Arteta wants a wide attacker in before the window shuts.

Rashford, though, has said no at every turn.

Rashford closes the door

At the start of the summer, a permanent exit from Old Trafford looked almost certain. Rashford had spent last season on loan at Barcelona and Aston Villa, and the expectation around the forward was that his United career was winding down.

His preference was clear: a return to Catalonia. Barcelona held a £26 million release clause in his deal and had the option to bring him back. Instead, they walked away, choosing to invest in Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi and leaving Rashford’s future wide open again.

The rejection from Barça did not dry up his market. According to The Times, Fenerbahce pushed hard to lure him to Istanbul, ready to make him the headline act of their summer rebuild and a Champions League statement. Rashford again refused, making it clear he had no interest in a move to the Super Lig.

That stance has effectively shut down the idea of a major transfer. With his wage packet of around £325,000 a week, only a small group of clubs could realistically structure a deal. One by one, the options have fallen away, and the forward has been forced to reassess where he stands.

Carrick’s influence and a reset at United

Inside Manchester United, the mood around Rashford has shifted. What once felt like a drawn-out separation now looks more like a reset.

United are described as content to keep their academy product, and the key factor is his relationship with head coach Michael Carrick. Rashford returned to the pitch in the defeat to Hull City, coming on at half-time for Patrick Dorgu, but the real work has been done away from the cameras.

Carrick has been struck by the change in his application since pre-season. Speaking about Rashford’s return to training alongside 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 has carried weight. It has pulled Rashford back into the first-team fold and given him a clear path to playing regular football again at Old Trafford, rather than drifting through another uncertain loan or a compromise move abroad.

Arsenal on the clock, Rashford back under the lights

While United stabilise around Rashford, Arsenal are scrambling. Martinelli’s exit has ripped out a key part of their attacking structure, and the clock is ticking loudly over north London. They need a winger, and they need one before Tuesday night. Rashford will not be that man.

For the 26-year-old, the focus now is Sunday. United host Ipswich Town, and if selected, Rashford will walk out at Old Trafford for the first time since December 2024.

For a player who looked destined to leave, that moment will feel less like a routine league fixture and more like the start of a new chapter.