Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is optimistic that the club will soon come to an agreement with Marcus Rashford over a new contract.
Having experienced a downturn in fortunes last season under Ralf Rangnick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - scoring just five goals in all tournaments - Rashford was heavily linked with an exit from his boyhood club in 2022.
However, Ten Hag made it a priority to retain Rashford's services, and the England international has since rediscovered his best form in a Red Devils jersey with 29 goals and 11 assists from 53 games in all tournaments.
Rashford is by far and away the club's highest goalscorer this season, and 16 of his strikes have come in the Premier League, where only five players - Erling Braut Haaland (36), Harry Kane (27), Ivan Toney (20), Mohamed Salah (19) and Callum Wilson (18) - have netted more.
Thanks to his Old Trafford revival, Rashford will be in line for a new-and-improved Man United contract, and the Red Devils recently triggered a 12-month option to extend his stay until 2024.
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It has been reported that Man United are making strong progress in talks over fresh terms with the 25-year-old, who has previously hit out at claims that he is after as much as £500,000 per week to put pen to paper.
Ten Hag was quizzed on Rashford's contract situation in Friday's press conference ahead of their Premier League clash with Bournemouth, where Rashford is a doubt due to illness.
While understandably remaining tight-lipped on negotiations, Ten Hag revealed that he 'knows' why talks are taking a long time, but he insisted that the attacker wants to remain at Old Trafford.
"I know but I don't talk about the process. Let the process go. Once again, this is not important at the moment for me or Rashy," Ten Hag told reporters. "For him, it is to get more goals this season and he is playing a wonderful season — and the team is playing a wonderful season.
"We have to get into the Champions League and focus on that. Marcus wants to stay and we want him to stay, so I think we will find each other."
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Rashford - who also missed last weekend's win over Wolverhampton Wanderers due to a leg injury - has experienced a slight lull in the Premier League recently, failing to score in each of his last three games.
Nevertheless, the Red Devils academy graduate has been named as one of seven nominees for the Premier League Player of the Season award alongside Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Kane and Kieran Trippier.
Since making his debut for the club as an 18-year-old in the 2015-16 season, Rashford has produced 122 goals and 68 assists in 356 matches for Man United, including 75 goals from 237 Premier League outings.
The England international boasts five major honours with Man United, having scooped his second EFL Cup this season after also lifting the Europa League, FA Cup and Community Shield.
Ten Hag's men enter the weekend one point clear of Liverpool - who have played a game more - in fourth place, and they will seal Champions League qualification if they beat Bournemouth and Aston Villa win at Anfield.
Ben Knapton
