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Manchester United defender Harry Maguire is confident Marcus Rashford will have a significant impact at the club this season.
The 28-year-old started his first Premier League game for United in 21 months in the 5-2 victory over Ipswich at Old Trafford, and was one of his side’s main attacking threats.
Having a future at United seemed unlikely when he fell out with former boss Ruben Amorim and was loaned out
That reality has created a new one.
Rashford is contracted to Manchester United until 2028. His salary of £325,000 a week makes him the club’s top earner at a time when minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is trying to stay on top of wage costs, which is, by some distance, the club’s highest expenditure.
United’s transfer activity has slowed since Belgium midfielder Youri Tielemans joined them for £35m on 14
Suggestions around Rashford have been that he is relaxed about the prospect of returning to training at United.
For a start, there is not the same confrontational relationship between the player and his coach.
Ruben Amorim fell out with the forward within weeks of his arrival from Sporting Lisbon. Amorim eventually exiled him, which triggered a loan move to Aston Villa.
Then the head coach put Rashford in his ‘bomb
In theory, Rashford could return to his boyhood club and resume his career there.
Head coach Michael Carrick knows him well. Carrick has been a team-mate, coach and – for three games following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dismissal in 2021 – hands-on manager of one of the recent star graduates of United’s academy.
When Carrick was asked about Rashford in April, he said no decision had been made about the attacker’s
Marcus Rashford says he feels like he is “at home” at Barcelona after completing a season-long loan move to the La Liga club.
The 27-year-old has joined on an initial 12-month loan from Manchester United, with the Catalan giants having the option of signing the England international on a permanent basis for £30.3m (35m euros) in 2026.
He is the first English player to sign for Barcelona since Gary Lineker
Joining Barcelona has been Rashford’s preferred option since he said in December he was ready for a new challenge after being dropped by United head coach Ruben Amorim.
The move will be Rashford’s second consecutive loan spell after a six-month stint with Aston Villa in the second half of last season.
Barcelona hope that Rashford’s move will be completed in time join the pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea
Some have asked why Barca would want Rashford in the first place.
Well, stripped back, they have cut a really good deal.
Having tried, and failed, to sign Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao in the summer, they needed to strengthen their attacking positions. Aside from a now 36-year-old Lewandowski and Yamal, who is half his age, Hansi Flick only has Brazilian Raphinha and former Manchester City forward Ferran Torres
If United, who finished 15th in the Premier League last season, don’t want Rashford – why are La Liga champions Barcelona after him?
Barca haven’t exactly struggled for goals over the past year, scoring 102 on their way to winning the league.
They also netted 43 as they reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2024-25, the second-most in a single campaign.
If anything, their shortcomings were at the back rather
Barcelona sporting director Deco has previously spoken of his admiration for Rashford – as well as Liverpool winger Luis Diaz.
“When we go to the market, there are names that we know and that could improve the team,” he told Catalan radio station RAC1 in May.
“We like Luis, we like Rashford and we like other players,” he said.
For his part, Rashford last month spoke of how he would
Rashford said last month he would like to play alongside forward Lamine Yamal at Barcelona.
United’s pre-season training starts on Monday, and sources close to Rashford have said he has no problem with returning.
The club’s first pre-season friendly is against Leeds on 19 July in Stockholm before they go to the US for the Premier League Summer Series friendlies.
Rashford has spent 20 years at United, scoring 138 goals