The winger was unable to complete a move to his favoured Barcelona and could now return to Old Trafford in red
Marcus Rashford will be reintegrated into the Manchester United squad in preseason as the winger is now expected to play a role under Michael Carrick next season, according to the latest reports coming out of Old Trafford.
Rashford left United on loan first to Aston Villa and then to Barcelona about a year and a half ago, saying that he needed a fresh challenge elsewhere.
After a passable six months at Villa in the second half of the 2024-25 season, he secured a loan move to Barcelona last season where he provided 14 goals and 14 assists. However, the La Liga club declined the option to sign him permanently for a fee in the region of £26m and instead brought in Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon for £69m.
United would much prefer to sell the player and free up his wages of £17.5m a year from their books, but in the absence of suitable offers to buy him permanently, both the club and the player are willing to continue at Old Trafford.
United are now demanding £40m for Rashford this summer. The player has two years left on his contract and has indicated a willingness to see it out.
Rashford fell out with Ruben Amorim in 2024 when the Portuguese arrived at the club, but it is understood that Amorim’s position and his demand of more effort from Rashford was backed by United’s footballing structure. Rashford is on good terms with Michael Carrick, who was appointed as permanent coach on a two-year contract at the end of last season, and Carrick would be happy to accommodate him in the squad.
However, it is also possible that United’s position of being willing to accommodate Rashford is a move meant to attract interest in the player on the market. United used a similar tactic with Jadon Sancho in the summer of 2024, when he was restored to the first team after a disagreement with Erik ten Hag, and appeared to have reconciled with the manager, only to go out on loan to Chelsea at the start of the season.
If Rashford is reintegrated he will be expected to play on his favoured left wing. United signed a left-sided forward player in Matheus Cunha last summer but the player does have a tendency to drift into central areas. United can also call on the services of Patrick Dorgu as a left winger, but the player has also featured at left wing-back and could feature at left-back for United.
