Marcus Rashford's Manchester United exit clause expires, return to Old Trafford expected

By Evelyn Mensah — 16 July 2026 — 3 min read

Rashford’s Return to Manchester United

Marcus Rashford, the England forward, is anticipated to rejoin Manchester United for the upcoming season, following the expiration of his exit clause. This clause, which would have allowed a move for a specified fee, was not exercised, meaning any potential transfer would now require direct negotiation between clubs. Rashford is currently with England at the World Cup and is expected to return to training with his Manchester United teammates involved in the latter stages of the tournament held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The 28-year-old last played for Manchester United in a Europa League victory against Viktoria Pilzen in December 2024. His relationship with the club reportedly became strained after he was substituted during that match by then-head coach Ruben Amorim, who subsequently did not consider him for selection. Despite this, there are no reported issues between Rashford and current head coach Michael Carrick.

For the 2025-26 season, Rashford was on loan at Barcelona, where he made 49 appearances across all competitions, contributing 14 goals and 14 assists. Barcelona had an option to make his move permanent for a specific fee but ultimately decided against it. Rashford had previously expressed a preference to re-sign with Barcelona after scoring a goal in their 2-0 win against Real Madrid in May, which secured the La Liga title.

However, Barcelona instead signed Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United for a fee, with Gordon’s preferred position being wide left, similar to Rashford’s. Manchester United has no intentions of arranging another temporary move for Rashford to Barcelona. His exit clause was not applicable to United’s rivals, Manchester City and Liverpool.

Contract Status and Future Prospects

Marcus Rashford remains under contract at Old Trafford until 2028. Sources familiar with the situation indicate that Rashford has declined several proposals, some of which were reportedly more financially appealing than his current agreement. While Manchester United’s preference would be to reduce their wage expenses by offloading Rashford’s salary, there is a reported lack of suitable clubs interested in acquiring him.

Rashford is scheduled for a three-week break following England’s World Cup campaign. The current plan is for him to return to Manchester United for pre-season training. United’s pre-season schedule includes six friendlies before the start of the new campaign. Their first match is against Wrexham in Helsinki on July 18, the day before the World Cup final.

Other pre-season fixtures include matches against Rosenborg in Trondheim on July 24, Atlético Madrid in Stockholm on August 1, Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg on August 8, Leeds in Dublin on August 12, and Milan in Wroclaw on August 15. The Premier League season for Manchester United is set to begin a week later with an away game against Hull. If England reaches the World Cup final, the earliest Rashford could rejoin United would be August 10.

Rashford is a product of United’s academy, having made over 400 appearances for his boyhood club. He has scored 138 goals since his debut in February 2016. Michael Carrick, who was appointed permanent head coach in May after initially taking over as caretaker in January, guided United back into the Champions League with a third-place finish. Carrick has expressed confidence in the team’s ability to compete for trophies in the upcoming season.

In other transfer news, Manchester United has reached an agreement with Chelsea to sign Andrey Santos for a fee, with additional add-ons. The deal for the 22-year-old midfielder also includes a 10% sell-on clause for the London club. Santos, who has six Brazil caps, was not part of the squad eliminated from the World Cup by Norway.

Carrick’s midfield options are also expected to be strengthened by the potential arrival of Éderson from Atlanta for an initial fee. The 27-year-old, who appeared for Brazil in their defeat to Norway, is yet to complete a medical. Manchester United may also pursue a third midfielder, with Carrick reportedly interested in players like Alex Scott from Bournemouth and Adam Wharton from Crystal Palace.