Manchester United have established a deadline of August 9th to finalise an agreement for Marcus Rashford to depart the club, according to reports. The forward's future remains uncertain following last season's loan spell with Barcelona.
Rashford at the World Cup
He is in North America with the England squad as they gear up for their World Cup quarter-final against Norway on Saturday evening (10pm kick-off). Should Thomas Tuchel's team triumph in that match, their American adventure will extend until the weekend of the final. The defeated semi-finalists will contest the third-place play-off on Saturday, 18 July. The final then takes place 24 hours later at New York's New Jersey Stadium.
Players coming back from the competition must have a minimum of three weeks' rest before resuming duties with their clubs. Players participating in the final weekend of the tournament will consequently return on 9 August at the earliest.
United's Deadline and Rashford's Stance
The Sun claims that United are eager to resolve Rashford's future ahead of that date, with the squad beginning their pre-season training camp in Dublin that same day. Rashford has expressed his preference to leave United, though it appears a Barcelona return will not materialise. Under the terms of the loan arrangement, the Spanish club possessed an option to secure him permanently for a £26 million fee. However, they chose to complete a £70m transfer for England colleague Anthony Gordon instead. The option deadline has now expired, leaving United searching for alternative prospective buyers.
The club are determined not to accept another loan deal. Tottenham Hotspur are among the clubs rumoured to be keen, though the forward is said to have his heart set on joining a side competing in Champions League football next season.
Rashford's Comments and Form
Speaking ahead of England's World Cup triumph over Mexico, Rashford set out his transfer position. "I was very clear with everyone involved before the World Cup, I wanted [a transfer] done before," he said. "If it's not, I wanted it to wait until after. I want to be fully present in the moment. We're fighting for something special."
The forward played in England's opening four World Cup fixtures, netting in the victory against Croatia, before dropping to the bench for the 3-2 win over Mexico in the early hours of Monday morning. He will be hoping to earn a starting berth in this weekend's quarter-final, though he is likely to start on the bench after Gordon's dazzling display against Mexico.
The 28-year-old reclaimed his spot in the England setup on the back of his impressive loan spell at Barcelona. Across his 49 appearances in all competitions last season, Rashford found the net 14 times and laid on an identical number of assists.
