Rashford Set to Rejoin Manchester United After World Cup

Following a period of uncertainty surrounding his future at Manchester United, Marcus Rashford is expected to rejoin the club after the World Cup. The 28-year-old forward, who has two years remaining on his contract, last played for United in a 2-1 Europa League victory over Viktoria Pilzen in December 2024. His relationship with the club was strained after a disagreement with former head coach Ruben Amorim, who took him off during the match against Pilzen and subsequently did not consider him for selection. Amorim had stated that a player's performance is not just about their skills on the field, but also about their conduct off the field. 'It is important the performance in training, in games, the way you dress, eat, engage with your teammates, push your teammates,' Amorim explained. However, there are no issues between Rashford and the current head coach, Michael Carrick, who is set to welcome the player back to the team after the World Cup. Rashford will have a three-week break after England's World Cup campaign before returning to United for pre-season training. The club's preference would be to reduce their wage bill by offloading Rashford's £17.5m annual salary, but there are currently no suitable buyers for the player. Rashford was loaned to Aston Villa in January 2025 and then to Barcelona for the 2025-26 season. During his time at Barcelona, he scored a crucial goal in a 2-0 win over Real Madrid, which helped the team secure the La Liga title. Although Rashford expressed his desire to re-sign with Barcelona, the club opted to sign Anthony Gordon from Newcastle for £60.7m plus add-ons instead. United have no plans to engage in discussions with Barcelona regarding another temporary move for Rashford. The club has already agreed to sign Andrey Santos from Chelsea for £48m plus £2m in add-ons, and they are also expected to sign Éderson from Atlanta for an initial €40.5m. Carrick is looking to strengthen his midfield options further and is interested in signing either Alex Scott from Bournemouth or Adam Wharton from Crystal Palace, although both players would command a minimum fee of £80m. United's pre-season schedule includes six friendlies, starting with a match against Wrexham in Helsinki on July 18, followed by matches against Rosenborg, Atlético Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds, and Milan. The team will then travel to Hull to begin their Premier League campaign. Carrick is optimistic about the upcoming season, stating, 'We know we've got what it takes to beat the best teams in this league. 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. We are ready to kick on and give you more of the great moments that United are all about.'