Marcus Rashford has returned to Manchester United for pre-season training on Sunday, nearly two years after his last appearance for the club. The 28-year-old forward, who made 426 appearances for United after coming through the academy, had seen his Old Trafford career appear over following a falling out with former Red Devils manager Ruben Amorim. Amorim froze Rashford out, leading to loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona.
Barcelona declined to trigger a £26million option to buy Rashford before their deadline in mid-June, although head coach Hansi Flick recently admitted he will miss the player. No other clubs have been prepared to meet United's £40m valuation. Rashford was granted extra time off after playing for England at the World Cup, having not played for United since December 12, 2024 against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League.
As Rashford arrived at Carrington on Sunday, he stopped to greet adoring fans, saying "thanks" as several welcomed him back before posing for photos and signing memorabilia. During his loan spell at Barcelona last season, Rashford scored 14 goals and provided 14 assists. In May, he had expressed a desire to stay at the Nou Camp, saying: "I'm not a magician but if I was, I would stay. It's really good. I came here to win. I want to win as many things as I can. This team is a wonderful team. They're going to win so much in the future as well. To be a part of that would be special."
Pre-season trip to Dublin
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick confirmed on Saturday that Rashford will join the squad for the next stage of pre-season in the Republic of Ireland. Rashford is set to fly imminently to Dublin to join his team-mates. Daily Mail Sport reported earlier this week that the feeling at United and within Rashford's camp is that he is likely to play for his boyhood club next season, though uncertainty remains with one month left in the transfer window.
Speaking after United's 1-1 draw against PSG, Carrick reflected on his long history with the forward. Carrick said: "I've played with him. I played in the game he made his debut, so we have a history. We have got a full squad this week in Dublin. We fly straight there and have a few days where we have the whole group back together. Marcus is part of that, and Kobbie (Mainoo) and Lisandro (Martinez). We look forward to seeing them."
Future decisions at Old Trafford
Back in April, Carrick appeared to extend an olive branch when questioned about Rashford's future at the club. Carrick said: "There's decisions to be made on certain things, and obviously Marcus is in that situation. But at this point in time, nothing's been decided. It will be, because it has to be at a certain point, but at this stage, there's nothing to say."
