Marcus Rashford faces a big summer for club and country with a Manchester United exit likely

Marcus Rashford started for England on Friday night in their friendly draw with Uruguay ahead of a big few months for the forward.

Rashford is on loan at La Liga giants Barcelona with an option to make the move permanent. He will also hope to be part of Thomas Tuchel’s plans for the World Cup in North America this summer.

United want to bank at least £26m for Rashford. That is the fee that Barcelona must pay to make the 28-year-old’s move to the Nou Camp permanent and although there have been reports in Spain that the Catalan club are keen to renegotiate, United officials insist that is a non-starter.

If Barcelona turn their backs on that deal, Rashford will return to United, but having had a good season in La Liga, there is confidence that other clubs would be willing to match that asking price to sign the attacker.

So what next for Rashford in the coming weeks and months? We asked our writers for their thoughts.

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Jack Flintham

The ship has sailed for Rashford at United and that should be seen as a failure for all concerned. From United’s perspective, the forward should have been a one-man club for the remainder of his career.

At times, he was comfortably one of the Premier League’s best forwards but previous managers’ unhealthy urge to shoehorn him into the centre-forward role clipped his momentum. Instead of properly addressing that position, they forced Rashford into that role and he subsequently faltered.

However, the demise of Rashford’s career is not solely on the club. The winger must take responsibility for some of his actions during his time at United. Ruben Amorim has his faults but considering some of the half-hearted performances we saw during the final months of Rashford’s United career, it’s not hard to believe the 28-year-old had clocked out of training.

The Reds need a left winger in the summer and I understand the logic behind giving Rashford another chance, especially if Michael Carrick is appointed permanently. His management style could suit the forward.

But too much water is under the bridge now and United must look to the future, while learning lessons from this chapter.

Aaron Morris

Though it looked increasingly likely that Rashford had found his new forever home with Barcelona earlier this season, the future of the on-loan Manchester United talent is now less straightforward. While the La Liga giants have the option to make his move permanent this summer for around £26m, it now appears that Barça are considering extending his loan agreement by a year.

Whether United will agree to the move remains to be seen, especially considering his current contract at Old Trafford expires in 2028. As a result, the club may hope to move him on permanently in the coming months to avoid a situation where he returns to England with just 12 months to make new arrangements, and ultimately risk losing him on a free at the end of 2027/28.

With Ruben Amorim now out of the picture and Michael Carrick temporarily in charge, there’s also the chance – no matter how slim it seems – that Rashford could enjoy a career revival with his boyhood club. Although, given the club’s current crop of talent is thriving, it is unknown where an ageing Rashford would fit into plans.

In my opinion, the best-case scenario for Rashford is Barcelona or bust. The 28-year-old has proven that he can hang with the best on Spanish soil and has been a real asset to Hansi Flick’s side. It also seems as though his ship has sailed with the Reds, and with their managerial situation beyond the current season precarious to say the least, it is unknown as to whether Carrick – or a fresh face – would get the best out of him, or simply deem him surplus to requirements like Amorim.

Mark Wakefield

Rashford certainly has a decision to make this summer, and it may not be one that he expected to have almost a year ago. The England international’s loan spell at Barcelona has gone to plan, with both parties wanting to keep Rashford at the Camp Nou beyond this season.

What may be in doubt, though, is whether Barca will be able to sign Rashford on a permanent deal. And if not, it remains to be seen if United would be open to another loan move.

If neither a permanent nor a loan move to Barcelona is possible, Rashford faces a decision on what to do next for his future.

Given the recent upturn in form at Old Trafford under interim boss Michael Carrick, there may be a temptation to try returning to United next season. It’s still probably best, though, for all parties to go their separate ways this summer. If not to Barcelona, though, the question would be which club could Rashford join?