Marcus Rashford's future remains uncertain as he prepares to return to Manchester United, although he did mention Liverpool after being presented with the opportunity to join the Reds earlier in his career
11:13, 04 Jul 2026Updated 11:20, 04 Jul 2026
Marcus Rashford previously addressed the prospect of joining Liverpool
Marcus Rashford previously addressed the prospect of joining Liverpool(Image: Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)
Marcus Rashford previously demonstrated his unwavering devotion to Manchester United by declaring that Liverpool was "never an option" during his formative years.
The 28-year-old's future remains up in the air after Barcelona opted against converting his season-long loan into a permanent $35 million (£26M) deal, with the La Liga giant instead signing Anthony Gordon from Newcastle.
Rashford, who is currently representing England at the World Cup, is due to return to the United fold once the tournament concludes. Despite widespread speculation that his time at Old Trafford was drawing to a close, there remains a possibility he could feature in pre-season under Michael Carrick.
With United unwilling to sanction a third consecutive loan spell, the Manchester Evening News reports that Rashford may remain at his boyhood club beyond the summer transfer window. There appears to be a willingness amongst all parties to explore his reintegration into the squad, though such an outcome is far from guaranteed.
A number of Premier League clubs are still anticipated to chase the forward when the summer window opens. Domestic rivals remain the most probable destinations, given their financial capacity to meet his considerable wage demands.
Rashford, however, is understood to prefer honoring the remaining two years of his contract at United. Furthermore, his lifelong affiliation with the Red Devils would effectively rule out a move to the handful of clubs realistically capable of attracting his signature.
Marcus Rashford of Manchester United celebrates with Scott McTominay of Manchester United after scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Etihad Stadium on March 03, 2024 in Manchester, England.
Marcus Rashford could end up staying at Manchester United this summer(Image: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
His remarks from 2018, made in response to speculation suggesting he might have chosen Liverpool over United as a youngster, indicate precisely that. The striker maintained he only ever wished to play for United, hinting he would prefer to remain rather than switch to a rival club.
He said at the time: "No. Liverpool was never an option. Liverpool, City, Everton - there was no other club I really would have enjoyed going to other than United. It just felt like the natural thing to do."
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Moving forward, even if Rashford were not minded to turn down the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea or Arsenal, United would refuse to sanction a move to the former or Manchester City, due to their fierce rivalry.
Rashford joined his cherished Red Devils at the age of seven and experienced a dream debut as an 18-year-old, scoring twice against Arsenal back in 2016. He subsequently became a key figure at Old Trafford, finding the net 138 times across 426 matches.
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His loan departure to Aston Villa, followed by Barcelona, occurred following his breakdown in relations with then-head coach Ruben Amorim.