Marcus Rashford’s decade-long chapter at Manchester United appears to be over in everything but paperwork. Andy Mitten, one of the most well-connected journalists covering the club, says the forward is not expected to return to play for United.

The timing is awkward. Rashford is technically scheduled to report back to Old Trafford on 1 July 2026 after his loan spell at Barcelona wraps up.

A loan that led nowhere permanent

Rashford spent the 2025-26 season on loan at Barcelona, a move that came with a £26 million option to make the transfer permanent. Barcelona chose not to exercise it.

That expired option leaves Rashford contractually bound to Manchester United through 2028, earning £325,000 per week. There is reportedly a £40 million release clause embedded in his contract, which theoretically offers an exit route, but finding a club willing to meet both that fee and his wages is a different challenge entirely.

A relationship that ran its course

According to Mitten, every Manchester United manager has privately harbored concerns about Rashford throughout his career. That’s a striking claim when you consider the list includes the likes of Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag, and now Ruben Amorim.

In late June 2026, Rashford reportedly declined a transfer to Tottenham Hotspur. He was instead focused on training with England ahead of the World Cup.

The financial headache

Rashford’s £325,000 weekly wages translate to roughly £16.9 million per year. For a player the club doesn’t plan to use, that’s an enormous sum sitting on the balance sheet doing nothing productive.

Barcelona’s decision not to exercise their £26 million buy option is telling. That was presumably a price United considered acceptable, and even at a discount from the release clause, the Spanish club passed.