Marcus Rashford was one of five players who Manchester United told could return to pre-season training at a later date if they were unable to secure a transfer
10:08, 09 Jul 2025
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 31: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Marcus Rashford of Manchester United in action during a first team training session at Carrington Training Ground on August 31, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
England international Marcus Rashford was among five players who were told they could return to Carrington later(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Despite being granted additional time off to secure a new club, Marcus Rashford reported back for pre-season training at Manchester United on Monday and Tuesday.
The 27-year-old England international was among five players who were told they could return to Carrington later if they failed to secure a transfer.
However, Rashford still turned up at the Red Devils' training centre, working individually and not participating in any sessions with the rest of Ruben Amorim's squad, according to the Athletic.
This group included new £62.5million signing Matheus Cunha, who was announced as the new No. 10 shirt holder, taking over from Rashford, in a social media post by the club on Tuesday.
On Friday, United stated that Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia could return later in July due to their uncertain futures.
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Throughout their extended summer breaks, the players have had access to Carrington's medical and rehabilitation services. Last week, it was reported that all five stars had requested to leave United, although some of the players' representatives have refuted this, reports the Mirror.
Garnacho is rumoured to be considering moves to Chelsea and Napoli, Real Betis are reportedly interested in Antony, and reports from Italy suggest that Sancho has agreed terms with Juventus. Meanwhile, Malacia appears to be struggling to find potential buyers.
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Barcelona are leading the race to sign Marcus Rashford after their top target Nico Williams penned a new 10-year deal with Athletic Bilbao. Liverpool's Luis Diaz is another option, but a recent bid from Bayern Munich was turned down.
Spanish reports suggest that Rashford would be open to taking a significant pay cut on his £325,000-a-week wage to make the move to Barca, who are more interested in a loan agreement as United's asking price is £40m. The Red Devils are keen to boost their coffers before making any additional signings beyond Cunha and Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo, with negotiations over a potential £63m deal ongoing.
Amorim is looking to revamp his forward line, which is why Rashford, Garnacho, Sancho and Antony could be shown the door. If they can successfully offload these surplus stars, United aim to delve into the striker market, having previously missed out on Liam Delap to Chelsea and with Viktor Gyokeres - who Amorim coached at Sporting Lisbon - set to join Arsenal.