Marcus Rashford remains a Manchester United player with the transfer window now shut. Michael Carrick agrees with Noussair Mazraoui that the Englishman will be like a "new signing" this season.
When the window opened, it seemed a near certainty that Rashford would wave goodbye to Old Trafford for good. He had spent half of the 2024/25 season on loan at Aston Villa after falling out with Erik ten Hag and later Ruben Amorim before being shipped out to Barcelona last summer in another temporary switch.
The 28-year-old impressed at the Camp Nou, scoring 14 goals and registering 14 assists. With the club holding the right to activate a £26million option to buy and Rashford's bridges back to United seemingly burned, he looked all set for a permanent exit.
Barcelona snub and return to Carrington
Alas, things did not pan out this way. Barcelona opted not to trigger the purchase option and instead splashed £70m on Anthony Gordon, as well as recruiting Karim Adeyemi. Rashford was left in limbo as he returned to Carrington, and although avenues to Turkey and other English sides like Arsenal and Chelsea were explored, it ultimately became apparent that he would be staying put.
United showed their faith by handing him the No. 9 shirt for the new season, and one of his team-mates, Mazraoui, insisted that Rashford would be like a new signing for his team. Manager Carrick now agrees.
Pre-season and early season form
Rashford featured sparingly in pre-season after playing at the World Cup for third-place finishers England, but did make an appearance in his team's 4-2 defeat to AC Milan. He was thrown into the fray in United's Premier League opener against Hull City, showing little from the bench in a 2-0 defeat.
However, he was in from the off in their latest clash with Ipswich Town and looked lively down the left-hand side as United won 5-2, thanks to a hat-trick from captain Bruno Fernandes.
Carrick and Mazraoui on Rashford's impact
Speaking after the win, Carrick hinted that Rashford feels like a new recruit. He said: "I think the situation that we're in, I think the business that we've managed to do, I'm pleased with. I think we're a better group, a better squad, potentially a better team. Adding Marcus (Rashford) into that feels like a new signing. So, in that respect, we're quite happy."
This sentiment had already been put forward by Mazraoui, who, when asked about his team-mate in early August, told Premier Sports: "We have made some great signings. Rashford has come back, who can also be a big one in this season if he does not leave. That's not up to me, of course. But we have big signings, and the team is still getting stronger."
Every Premier League side has now concluded their transfer business and Rashford has gone nowhere, meaning he'll be hoping to thrive at his boyhood club as, both his manager and peer have dubbed him, a new impactful signing.
Carrick continued: "[I'm] really pleased with Marcus. He's adding to the group for us, for sure. He's one of our own. He's living his dream, playing here now and trying to be successful and win. So, whatever's gone on, I think part of this club, there are players that have come and come back sometimes, or players that maybe were going to leave, didn't leave. It's always about what you do next and what your intentions are. He's been fantastic since he came back, I have to say."
