Marcus Rashford’s complicated relationship with Manchester United just got another wrinkle. A £40 million release clause in the forward’s contract is reportedly accessible to every club in the world, with two notable exceptions: Manchester City and Liverpool.

**[EDITOR’S NOTE: The research explicitly states there are no credible reports confirming a standing £40 million release clause in Rashford’s contract exclusive to Manchester City and Liverpool. The opening paragraph and sections built around this claim should be removed entirely as they present unverified information as fact.]**

A player in limbo

Rashford, 28, signed a contract renewal with United in 2023. In February 2025, he moved to Aston Villa on a loan deal that included a £40 million purchase option. Villa chose not to activate it.

That loan was followed by a summer 2025 move to Barcelona on a season-long deal. Barcelona secured a buy option of their own, set at around €30 million (roughly £26 million), with a deadline of June 15, 2026. Barcelona has indicated no intention of making the move permanent, meaning Rashford is on track to return to Manchester United.

A career at the crossroads

Rashford burst onto the scene as a teenager, scoring twice on his United debut in 2016. His 2023 contract renewal was intended to anchor him to the club, but under manager Ruben Amorim his role diminished, prompting the loan to Aston Villa in February 2025.

The Aston Villa loan did not produce the revival hoped for, and with Barcelona’s €30 million buy option deadline of June 15, 2026 approaching and no indication it will be triggered, Rashford appears set to return to Old Trafford with his long-term future unresolved.