Stay or go - at 28, Rashford faces big Man Utd call

What the report says

BBC Sport reports that Marcus Rashford is returning from England’s World Cup campaign with his Manchester United future unresolved. The 28-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Barcelona and won La Liga, remains under contract at Old Trafford until 2028. He appeared in six of England’s eight matches at the tournament, which ended with a 6-4 third-place play-off win over France in Miami.

According to the report, Barcelona did not take up a £26m option to sign Rashford permanently before its mid-June deadline, while a separate £40m release-style clause available to most clubs also expired in July without being activated. Rashford is entitled to a three-week break and, unless circumstances change, is expected back around United’s training camp in the Republic of Ireland, which includes a fixture against Leeds at Croke Park on 12 August.

The situation matters because Rashford is United’s highest earner at a reported £325,000 per week, while minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is seeking tighter control over costs. BBC Sport says United do not want to renegotiate a reduced Barcelona deal or sanction another loan there. Barcelona’s need is also unclear after moves for attacking players including Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi.

BBC Sport’s Simon Stone writes that Rashford’s relationship with current United manager Michael Carrick is viewed as less strained than it was under Ruben Amorim, who had excluded him before previous loan moves. With few clubs likely to match his wages and the player’s preferences also a factor, the report says the most likely outcome for now is that Rashford remains at Manchester United when the transfer window closes on 1 September.