Manchester United have granted five players' wishes to leave the club and all will miss the start of pre-season training with the Red Devils - including Marcus Rashford
16:56, 04 Jul 2025
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - APRIL 20: Marcus Rashford is seen in attendance during the Resurgence: Ben Whittaker vs Liam Cameron 2 card at BP Pulse Live on April 20, 2025 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)
Rashford's departure has been further fuelled after his number has been taken away(Image: Ben Roberts Photo, Getty Images)
Marcus Rashford's No. 10 jersey at Manchester United has been passed on to Matheus Cunha, fuelling speculation that the England forward won't be making a comeback at Old Trafford.
In fact, Rashford is among five players itching for an exit and, having made their intentions clear to the club, they've been given the green light to report back later in July instead of joining pre-season testing at Carrington next week.
The other four - Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia - have also been granted permission to return late to Carrington for pre-season as they look to seal their departures after expressing their desire to move on.
The club has assured that their medical and rehab facilities will remain open to the players if needed. Distance support will also carry on as it has throughout the off-season.
Insiders maintain that if the players can't secure moves elsewhere, they WILL be welcomed back ahead of the new season - though it'll then fall to head coach Ruben Amorim to decide their fate, reports the Mirror.
Jadon Sancho has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford and can leave
Jadon Sancho has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford(Image: Getty)
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Rashford, who spent the latter half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, loses his No. 10 shirt at the club as he continues to angle for a transfer.
He's keen to test the waters abroad, with Barcelona topping his wish list.
The move has seemed a long shot for most of the summer, with Barca setting their sights on Spanish winger Nico Williams. However, due to concerns over Barca's financial capacity to trigger Williams' release clause from Athletic Bilbao, the player has now committed to a new long-term contract with Athletic until 2035, effectively ruling out a summer transfer.
This opens up a potential opportunity for Rashford, either through a full transfer or a loan deal, especially as Liverpool have made it clear that another Barca target, Luis Diaz, is staying put this summer.
Sancho is eyeing a move to Juventus after Chelsea forked out £5m to avoid a £25m permanent deal following his loan stint, while Garnacho, a key player in Amorim's squad last season, is looking for an exit after a fallout with the Portuguese manager. Disgruntled at being benched during the Europa League Final defeat to Spurs, his post-match remarks were the final nail in the coffin and he was given the green light to leave by the United gaffer.
Malacia, who had a loan spell at PSV Eindhoven that didn't lead to a permanent £8.3m move, finds himself without a future at the club following an injury-riddled tenure, while Antony was a smash hit on loan at Real Betis, who are keen to secure him permanently if they can hammer out a reasonable price.
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Another possibility is shipping him back to Seville on a season-long loan, with a compulsory purchase clause next summer, as United aim to claw back around £30m for the Brazilian.