Ally McCoist believes Marcus Rashford would ‘thrive’ at Arsenal if an opportunity arose for a deal to be agreed.

The forward will be leaving Manchester United this summer transfer window, meaning he will be officially off their books for the first ever time in his career.

Indeed, the Carrington graduate is expected to seal a permanent transfer elsewhere in the coming months when his loan spell with Barcelona comes to an end.

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Marcus Rashford: The state of play

Rashford is aiming to stay put at Camp Nou long-term, but the onus falls entirely on Barcelona to shell out his £26 million buy fee. Otherwise, United are happy to add him back to the squad for pre-season while they explore alternative options.

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From there, McCoist is of the belief that the 28-year-old would be a relatively perfect fit for Mikel Arteta.

Of course, Rashford is unlikely ever to represent a direct English rival like Arsenal, though you’d imagine he’d be pushing for a Premier League return if a deal with Barcelona failed to materialise.

His 13 goals and 13 assists could have proven hugely beneficial for the London outfit as the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Kai Havertz struggle for consistent form.

What McCoist had to say about Rashford to AFC

“100 per cent I could see him playing there,” McCoist told talkSPORT Bet Casino, as cited by Football365. “Marcus Rashford could thrive at Arsenal.”

“They [Arsenal] would have to offload first. The right-hand side of the attack, I’m thinking about Madueke, [Bukayo] Saka, you throw in [Gabriel] Martinelli, [Leandro] Trossard on the left.

“If I were Marcus Rashford, I’d probably want him to think about staying where I am at the moment.

“I don’t know what the deal is, Hansi Flick has been very complimentary about him, and he’s done well when he’s come in, goal returns good, assists good.

“If I’m Marcus Rashford, I’m going to stay where I am. Especially given he’s going to win the league.”