Marcus Rashford is leaning towards staying at Manchester United this season and England’s World Cup campaign is increasing the chances of it happening.
There is no hiding from the fact that Marcus Rashford wanted to join Barcelona this summer; the Manchester United forward said it himself at the end of last season.
But Barcelona rejected the chance to sign Rashford and now he is set to return to Carrington for pre-season training.
Michael Carrick has always been open to Rashford’s return, and it seems the 28-year-old is warming to the idea. His current focus, however, is on England’s World Cup campaign.
Is this a little harsh on Marcus Rashford? Do you feel the same way?
Marcus Rashford is increasingly likely to stay
Rashford has said himself that he doesn’t want to talk about his club future until the World Cup has ended.
His representatives have held ‘positive’ talks with United about staying, and the longer he remains with the England squad, the less time there is to talk or think about leaving Manchester.
England’s 2-1 win over Norway means the Three Lions are now in the World Cup semi-finals, and Rashford has a good chance at returning to Manchester as a world champion.
United fans want Rashford to stay, but there is still a portion of the fanbase who are unsure about welcoming him back with open arms.
But if Rashford returns as a World Cup winner, surely that will only help to convince fans that a world champion should be reintegrated into the team.
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If Carrick wants to reintegrate Rashford properly, he will have to include him in pre-season matches this summer.
United’s pre-season training has begun, and the first friendly is right around the corner against Wrexham this Saturday.
But Rashford will not return from the World Cup for another few weeks. England will now play in the semi-final and either the third-place play-off or the final.
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Players will then be given an extended break before returning to club training.
These are the final three pre-season fixtures in United’s schedule:
- Saturday, August 8, 2026: Manchester United vs Paris Saint-Germain, Gothenburg – 4pm
- Wednesday, August 12 2026: Manchester United vs Leeds United, Croke Park, Dublin – 7.30pm
- Saturday, August 15 2026: Manchester United vs AC Milan, Wroclaw – tbc
If Rashford plays for United again, expect it to be in one of these three matches.
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