Rashford set for Man Utd return as Barcelona confirm transfer decision

10 Jun 2026 11:03 BST | 5 min read

Suraj Radia | Editor

Marcus Rashford will return to Manchester United this summer after confirmation that Barcelona will not exercise their option to permanently sign the England international.

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Rashford joined Barca on loan last summer and it was believed that he had played his way into a long-term stay with the Catalans after scoring 13 times and providing ten assists in all competitions.

Current ETV

Marcus Rashford

F, M (L)

Barcelona

Marcus Rashford

F, M (L)

Barcelona

ETV Range

€34.7M - €42.5M

However, MARCA have revealed that Barcelona will not take up the €30 million option of a permanent deal and, with the deadline to make their move expiring next Monday, there is said to be ‘no going back’ with their decision.

The €70m signing of Anthony Gordon from Newcastle last month was decisive in Barcelona’s thinking, with the 25-year-old’s pressing and defensive work impressing manager Hansi Flick, while that was considered Rashford’s weakest point.

Rashford’s age also counted against him as the winger will turn 29 in November and doubts had begun to emerge over the deal after a decline in his performances during the season, with Flick’s opinion being ‘key’.

The financial impact of both players was seen as a ‘tie’, with Gordon having a lower salary that amortises over his contract to €14m annually, while Rashford reduced his wages by almost 40%, but it was still not enough to convince Barcelona to sign him.

Rashford’s Barcelona dream collapses – what next for the Man Utd star?

United will now look to find a new solution for Rashford, with Michael Carrick’s side adamant that there is no way back for the academy graduate to continue at his boyhood club.

© IMAGO - Marcus Rashford will return to Man Utd after his loan at Barcelona.

Rashford was keen to join Barcelona and is believed to be open to staying at United but he remains one of the highest earners at Old Trafford and the club are aiming to go in a different direction.

United had no desire to negotiate a lower fee with Barcelona or open the door to another loan deal as they believed they could get a bigger fee for Rashford from other clubs.

The likes of Bayern Munich and Aston Villa, where Rashford spent time on loan, are thought to be interested a deal but it appears unlikely that his future will be resolved until after the 2026 World Cup, which ends in the middle of July.

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