Marcus Rashford is back at Manchester United after his loan at Barcelona, but the club have been warned to tread carefully over his future. The Catalan side did not take up an option to buy him, and with no other takers so far, the England forward has rejoined his parent club after a post-World Cup break.
Manager confirms squad return
United manager Michael Carrick confirmed Rashford will be part of the squad for their trip to Dublin. "We have a full squad next week in Dublin," Carrick said after the weekend draw with Paris Saint-Germain. "We fly straight there and meet Leeds on Wednesday. We have a few days in Dublin where we have the whole squad, including Marcus, Kobbie [Mainoo] and Lisandro [Martinez]."
There is still time in the transfer window for interest to emerge, but United may need to be careful about who they sell to. Rashford's last two loans were at Barcelona and, before that, Aston Villa. One of those clubs could not hurt United because it plays in a foreign league, while the other, despite being in the Premier League, was not a traditional rival.
Warning over domestic sale
Former United coach Rene Meulensteen has called on Carrick to speak with Rashford about his role, but warned against selling him to a Premier League rival. "Selling Marcus Rashford to a direct competitor like Arsenal or Chelsea could really hurt you," Meulensteen told Andy's Bet Club. "He is still a player who can make a difference. Ideally, if United sell him, they should sell him abroad."
Rashford's wages might tempt United to cash in, especially since his old No.10 shirt has been given to Matheus Cunha. But a sale could come back to bite them, as happened with Scott McTominay, who has thrived at Napoli since his 2024 move. Meulensteen compared the two academy graduates.
McTominay comparison
"Would selling Marcus Rashford be a repeat of selling Scott McTominay?" Meulensteen asked. "I don't think people see Scott McTominay the same way. He moved because the club wanted to sell, and he has done brilliantly since. People might wonder if United sold him too early."
At least McTominay had a European club willing to take him. That does not appear to be the case with Rashford, and as long as that continues, United might have to accept his wages rather than risk a worse outcome.
