Marcus Rashford has acknowledged he needs to come back from his holiday as a 'better version' of himself, following a season where Barcelona chose not to make his loan permanent and England managers have shown limited trust in him.
Rashford's commitment questioned
If there is to be a reconciliation with Manchester United, Rashford must be scrupulously professional at all times, matching the work rate of every other player in a reinvigorated squad and showing selflessness on and off the field. He also needs to work assiduously on aspects of his game that still require improvement at the age of 28.
With Michael Carrick now in long-term charge, this feels like the start of a new United era. There is no reason why Rashford cannot be part of it, if he wants to be. New rules agreed between FIFA and FIFPRO mean clubs can no longer have 'bomb squads', so if Rashford stays at United — with his contract running for another two years — he must be part of the first-team squad and prove he is worth his place.
Mixed form and limited options
Barcelona did not think it was worth paying £26 million for his full-time services, and successive England managers have not fully trusted Rashford. He had a distinctly mixed World Cup, consistent with his entire England career; of his 78 caps, 38 have come from the bench.
Right now, many United supporters would likely say Rashford does not get into Carrick's first-choice starting XI when everyone is fit. He is probably not a better option than Bryan Mbeumo, but he could be if his focus was complete and his work rate stepped up.
Rashford's numbers in his loan season at Barcelona appeared decent: 14 goals and 14 assists in all competitions. But something must not have fully convinced coach Hansi Flick, and Barcelona decided they would be better off spending £70 million on Anthony Gordon, who also ended the World Cup as Thomas Tuchel's preferred option. A clause in Rashford's contract allowing other clubs — except Manchester City and Liverpool — to buy him for £40 million expired earlier this month, and as expected, no one triggered it.
United's stance and potential path forward
United executives, headed by director of football Jason Wilcox, would like Rashford's £325,000-a-week wages off the books, but they cannot force him out. Any interested club will point to the option price Barcelona had and refuse to pay considerably more. United could be stuck with Rashford, but all parties can make that work: Wilcox, Carrick, and most importantly, Rashford himself. If he returns from his holiday as a better version of himself, there is no reason he cannot play a key role in United's new era.
