Marcus Rashford is expected to rejoin Manchester United after the World Cup, with the forward slated to start next season as part of Michael Carrick's squad. The 28-year-old, who has two years left on his contract, last played for United in a 2-1 Europa League win at Viktoria Pilzen in December 2024 after a breakdown in his relationship with the club. However, there are no issues between Rashford and Carrick.
Break and Pre-Season Plans
Rashford will have a three-week break following England's World Cup campaign, after which he is set to return to United for pre-season training. United's pre-season begins on Thursday, with six friendlies scheduled before the new campaign. These include matches against Wrexham in Helsinki on 18 July, Rosenborg in Trondheim on 24 July, Atlético Madrid in Stockholm on 1 August, Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg on 8 August, Leeds in Dublin on 12 August, and Milan in Wroclaw on 15 August. A week later, United travel to Hull to start the Premier League season. If England reach the World Cup final, Rashford's earliest return would be 10 August.
Wage Bill and Transfer Situation
United's preference is to reduce their wage bill by offloading Rashford's salary of approximately £17.5 million per year, but a lack of suitable suitors has hindered this. Rashford was loaned to Aston Villa in January 2025 and then to Barcelona for the just-finished season. After scoring the goal that sealed La Liga for Barcelona in a 2-0 win over Real Madrid in May, Rashford stated his desire to re-sign for the Catalan club. However, Barcelona instead signed Anthony Gordon for £60.7 million plus add-ons, occupying the wide-left position. United have no plans to engage with Barcelona for another loan move for Rashford.
Background of Strained Relationship
Rashford's relationship with United deteriorated after he was substituted in the 56th minute at Pilzen by then-head coach Ruben Amorim, who subsequently refused to consider Rashford for selection. Amorim later explained, "It is important the performance in training, in games, the way you dress, eat, engage with your teammates, push your teammates." He described Rashford's absence as being for selection reasons.
Carrick's Appointment and Outlook
Michael Carrick was appointed permanent head coach in late May after initially replacing Amorim as caretaker in January. He guided United back to the Champions League with a third-place finish and expressed excitement for next season. "We know we've got what it takes to beat the best teams in this league," Carrick told the club website. "Now it's about doing that over a full Premier League campaign, while also fighting for every trophy available to us. I cannot wait to lead the group forward next season and for those special European nights to return to Old Trafford."
