Marcus Rashford says final goodbye after transfer confirmation

30 Jul 2026 14:20 BST | 4 min read

Marcus Rashford, Man Utd, 2026 — © IMAGO

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

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Marcus Rashford has confirmed that he will not be going back to Barcelona, having said his final goodbye to the club in an emotional Instagram post.

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Rashford had spent last season on loan at Camp Nou from Manchester United, and for a long period it seemed that the Blaugrana would take up a €30 million option in the agreement to sign him on a permanent basis.

Instead, the Catalans opted to make a surprise €80m move for Anthony Gordon and supplemented that deal with the signing of Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund.

Current ETV

Marcus Rashford

F, M (L)

Man Utd

Marcus Rashford

F, M (L)

Man Utd

ETV Range

€31.3M - €38.2M

Even at this point, it appeared that Rashford still harboured hopes of returning to Camp Nou in some form or another this season, but a message posted on his social media accounts indicates that he appreciates that prospect is no longer on the table.

Rashford wrote: “I’m very grateful to everyone at the club for making my time here such a positive and memorable experience. I’ve enjoyed every moment and will take many special memories with me.

“I wish the club and all its supporters the very best of luck and every success in the season ahead.”

What next for Rashford?

Following a strong performance at the World Cup with England, Rashford will return to pre-season training with Manchester United at the beginning of August.

While Michael Carrick has publicly stated that Rashford is welcome back at Old Trafford, the club’s actions in the transfer market suggest that they are still eager to move the winger on.

Finding a club for the 28-year-old promises to be challenging. While there have been offers from the Saudi Pro League, Rashford wants to remain playing in Europe at a high level. However, his options appear to be somewhat limited.

He does, however, continue to be linked with a potential move to either Tottenham or Roma, though it is unclear whether he would accept a deal.

There are two chief sticking points. Rashford wants to play for a big club, but crucially he is also reported to want a sizeable wage. Barcelona’s decision not to sign him was largely motivated by this and not his performance.

His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) has dropped to a career-low €34.7m, though United are expected to consider bids around the €35-40m mark in order to sell.

If no agreement is struck, Rashford will remain at Man Utd, where he has two more years left to run on his contract.