Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard are both used to pulling on the same shirt and representing the same team whether it’s Manchester United or England, but the duo were seen repping a different type of brand on Thursday.
During some downtime in the capital, Rashford and Lingard were seen dressed head to toe in Dior outfits as they attended one of the fashion brand’s first ever menswear events in London this week.
After spending some time at the show, hosted at Olympia London, the United pair chatted with some friends before leaving the venue.
Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard attended Dior’s first ever men’s fashion event in London
Rashford and Lingard both hold a keen interest in fashion, with the former wearing a Burberry suit to receive his MBE at Windsor Castle last month.
Lingard, meanwhile, as his own clothing line, JLINGZ, which offers fans a more affordable range of casual attire and accessories.
Rashford was given the night off this week when Ralf Rangnick’s men welcomed Young Boys to Old Trafford for their final group stage game in the Champions League.
Lingard on the other hand played 89 minutes in centre midfield, where he will have hoped to have impressed the club’s new interim boss.
The Manchester United duo have been enjoying some downtime in the capital this week
Both will be in contention for this weekend’s trip to Norfolk where United will take on Norwich in the Premier League.
While Rashford is more likely to start, Lingard’s efforts in the Champions League will have hoped to persuade Rangnick to consider him as an option in the centre of the park, given how the German reportedly criticised the club’s midfield options during his job interview.
According to ESPN, Rangnick reportedly told higher-ups at Manchester United that their midfield was ‘weak’ during his interview and earmarked RB Leipzig’s Amadou Haidara, Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham and Leeds’ Kalvin Phillips as potential targets in the transfer window.
United are willing to back Rangnick in the January transfer window but both manager and club are expecting it to be fairly quiet, with players leaving the club higher on the agenda.
Ralf Rangnick said Manchester United’s midfield was ‘weak’ in his interview for the job
Bellingham has emerged as a target for a number of Premier League sides since breaking out at Birmingham before getting his move to Dortmund, where he continues to shine.
United also sent scouts to watch Haidara with Leizpig in recent weeks, with the 23-year-old understood to have a £33million release clause.
Leeds star Phillips is set for a prolonged spell on the sidelines with Leeds, with the England man out with a hamstring injury, which could see him drop down United’s wishlist for the time being.
Rangnick’s criticism of United’s ‘weak’ midfield is nothing new.
Their current double midfield-pivot of Scott McTominay and Fred, known online as ‘McFred’, have come under heavy criticism in recent months, with the pair often blamed for the club’s shortcomings under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Norwegian, who was sacked as the club’s manager last month, favoured the duo but were the target for blame whenever United lost.
Rangnick started McTominay and Fred in his first game as interim boss – a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace last Sunday – and was pleased with their contributions, while still noting there was plenty of room for improvement.
‘They did one or two or three mistakes, especially in the first half there were two square passes; one from Scott, one from Fred,’ Rangnick said.
‘I don’t like those kinds of balls in midfield in those positions. But overall, when the other team is in possession of the ball, both Fred and Scotty they are almost perfect for that kind of football.’
Fred (left) and Scott McTominay (right) are often criticised as the weak links in United’s squad
As well as improving the team with additional midfield recruits, Rangnick expressed his desire to work with the team’s academy and help unearth the next Rashford or Mason Greenwood.
ESPN went on to claim that promoting youth from the club’s academy was seen as a major positive from Rangnick’s interview for Murtough and Woodward.
The German boss handed debuts to teenage duo Charlie Savage and Zidane Iqbal in United’s final Champions League group stage game against Young Boys on Wednesday, which finished in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.