Man Utd fear Marcus Rashford transfer would become a humiliating PR disaster

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Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

Manchester United look increasingly likely to retain Marcus Rashford in Michael Carrick’s Premier League squad for next season, with the Old Trafford club fearful that any transfer would backfire on them.

Rashford was frozen out with the Red Devils for 18 months, spending half a season at Aston Villa on loan before playing the duration of the 2025/26 campaign with Barcelona. Although the Catalans had been expected to take up his €30 million option and sign him, they ultimately overlooked the England star.

With the 28-year-old heading back to Old Trafford for pre-season, the chances are that he will remain there for the duration of the campaign before his situation is assessed again next year, when he will have 12 months remaining on his Man Utd contract.

Current ETV

Marcus Rashford

F, M (L)

Man Utd

Marcus Rashford

F, M (L)

Man Utd

€34.7M

ETV Range

€31.3M - €38.2M

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Man Utd fear ‘PR disaster’

United have courted plenty of interest in Rashford, the iPaper reports. In particular, Tottenham have been keen to sign him. Arsenal and Chelsea have been following his situation, too.

Carrick’s side elected to dodge a deal with Spurs, despite the London side having a willingness to sign the player on a permanent basis.

Behind Man Utd’s thinking was the prospect of a “potential PR disaster” it would cause if Rashford hit his form elsewhere in the Premier League. The report also speaks of the Red Devils’ fear of “humiliation” if he was to shine elsewhere in England.

Rashford happy where he is

Rashford is content to remain at Man Utd, it is confirmed. He remains an ardent supporter of the club and has a positive relationship with certain members of the squad.

He has also been picky when it comes to the clubs he is actively willing to move to. He has rejected the chance of moving to Turkey to join Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, and instead he wants to move to a top European club.

However, no team has been willing to pay the £26m (€30m) that Man Utd have set as his transfer fee. A big factor in this has been matching Rashford’s wages, which are reportedly worth £325,000 (€380,000) per week.

Loan move the ‘only’ option

But the door is not yet entirely closed on Rashford leaving United before the transfer deadline.

Man Utd have made it clear that they want the player’s salary off their wage bill, but the “only” way this can be achieved is if a loan deal is agreed.

The Red Devils do believe that there will be loan interest in Rashford before the end of the market, but whether this will be enough to tempt the forward to leaving his boyhood club once again is another question entirely.