Manchester United have apparently decided that Marcus Rashford has no future at Old Trafford, raising concerns about his mooted permanent move to Barcelona. Despite a rare social media connection with his parent club this week, the academy graduate appears to have severed ties with the Red Devils hierarchy.
United’s hierarchy have made it clear that they have no plans to bring Rashford back into the fold next season, according to The Sun. The forward, who is currently on a season-long loan at Barcelona, remains surplus to requirements at United despite a recent social media post that sparked speculation among supporters about a potential return to the club.
On Tuesday, Rashford’s X account retweeted a post from United’s official account regarding their return to the Champions League, adding a “Congratulations” message with a heart emoji. It was his first digital interaction with the club in nearly a year, but this has not changed the club’s stance on his future. United are eager to clear his significant wages from the books, which are set to rise to £325,000-a-week in July following their successful Champions League qualification.
The situation is complicated by growing doubts over whether Barcelona will make the England international’s move permanent. The Catalan giants have an option to buy the 28-year-old for £26 million, but they have yet to commit to the deal. Rashford has managed 13 goals in 46 appearances at the Camp Nou, but his form has dipped significantly at the business end of the season.
The forward has failed to start in any of Barca’s last five matches and struggled during their Champions League quarter-final defeat to Atletico Madrid. Barcelona have until June 15 to trigger the purchase clause. While Rashford himself is privately opposed to returning to Manchester and has rebranded his social media presence as ‘MR14’ to align with his Barcelona squad number, the lack of a definitive decision from Spain leaves his future in limbo.
United head coach Michael Carrick has been careful not to give too much away regarding the player’s long-term status at Old Trafford. Rashford has not featured for the Red Devils since December 2024, and his relationship with the club became increasingly strained after he was placed in a pre-season ‘bomb squad’ and subsequently stripped of his number 10 shirt in favour of Matheus Cunha.
Addressing the speculation last month, Carrick said: “I just think there are decisions to be made in time on certain things and obviously Marcus is in that situation. But at this point in time, nothing’s been decided. And it will be, because it has to be at a certain point. But at this stage, there’s nothing to say.”
