Forward is under contract until 2028 and open to staying at Old Trafford
Manchester United have placed a £40m valuation on Marcus Rashford after Barcelona decided against turning the forward’s loan spell into a permanent transfer, but interest from any their two biggest rivals Liverpool or Manchester City will not be entertained.
Rashford is expected to return to United following the World Cup after Barcelona declined to activate an option worth about €30m to sign him outright.
Rashford sought to rebuild his career in Spain last season and had a productive spell, delivering 14 goals and 14 assists in 49 appearances under Hansi Flick as Barcelona won the Liga title.
It raised expectations that his stay at Camp Nou would become permanent but those hopes faded after Barcelona made their stance known with an €80m move for Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon earlier this month, effectively ending Rashford’s prospects of securing a long-term future in Catalonia.
With two years remaining on his United contract, Rashford will now return to United but the club are still weighing up their options.
Rashford is currently with England in the US ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup opener against Croatia, but his club situation is expected to become a major talking point once the tournament concludes.
Rashford remains under contract until 2028 on terms worth about £350,000 a week and has made more than 400 senior appearances since breaking into the first team under Louis van Gaal in 2016.
According to people familiar with Rashford’s thinking, the player would prefer to remain at United and see out his contract rather than join another Premier League club. Nevertheless, United have not ruled out a domestic transfer, although any approach from Liverpool or Manchester City would not be accepted because of the historic rivalries involved.
