Exclusive: Michael Carrick backed to unleash Marcus Rashford at Man Utd

10 Sept 2026 14:57 BST | 3 min read

Marcus Rashford, Man Utd, 2026/27 — © IMAGO

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

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Marcus Rashford is ready to explode once again at Manchester United, with Michael Carrick backed as the manager to trigger a flurry of goals from the England winger.

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Rashford has spent much of the last 18 months away from Old Trafford on loan at Aston Villa and then Barcelona, with his summer return unplanned.

United had expected the Catalans to take up a €30 million buy-out option in his loan contract, but ultimately Barca moved for Anthony Gordon and, surprisingly, Karim Adeyemi, leaving Rashford back in Manchester.

Current ETV

Marcus Rashford

F, M (L)

Man Utd

Marcus Rashford

F, M (L)

Man Utd

ETV Range

€25.3M - €31M

Carrick has welcomed the England international back into the fold, giving the 28-year-old successive Premier League starts.

Although Rashford has yet to register a goal or an assist, his overall level of performance has been impressive, and former Man Utd assistant manager Rene Meulensteen believes that once he gets one goal, the floodgates will open.

“With the changes at the club, Michael Carrick knows Marcus really well, so there will be a strong connection there,” he told FootballTransfers.

“From what I’ve seen of Marcus in these first few games, he’s done very well, particularly against Everton. He’s only going to get fitter and stronger.

“We all remember the season under Erik ten Hag where he scored around 30 goals – that ability hasn't disappeared.

“It’s just a matter of time before he opens his account. Once he gets one, I think the goals will follow too.”

Rashford can fall back in love with Man Utd

Rashford’s history at the club, meanwhile, means that he can fall back in love with being a Man Utd player.

Meulensteen continued: “I’ve always been a big advocate for Marcus Rashford staying at Manchester United. When people were asking if there was a way back for him at Old Trafford, I always believed there was. He grew up through Manchester United and has that United DNA.

“I remember him as a young boy coming through the doors at The Cliff when he was five or six years old, just full of beans, and he developed into one of the best prospects the club ever produced. Whatever happened or caused him to temporarily fall out of love with the environment doesn't mean it has to stay that way.”

Midfield signings analysed

If Meulensteen is confident that Rashford will make an immediate impact, he is more reserved about Man Utd’s trio of midfield signings.

“We can't really judge Carlos Baleba yet, and Andrey Santos only played the first game against Hull before dropping out of the side. Youri Tielemans is still finding his feet coming from Aston Villa, because no matter how you look at it, moving to Manchester United is a step up with entirely different expectations,” he said.

“We have to wait to make a final judgment until Baleba is fully fit, has played a run of matches, and the team gets a few Champions League games under their belt. Only then will we really see what these signings are made of.”

Rene was speaking to FootballTransfers on behalf of BestBettingSites.