With Barcelona passing on a permanent deal, Old Trafford officials could leverage the forward to finalize a move for Roma’s Manu Koné and bolster Michael Carrick’s midfield.
Marcus Rashford's long-term future at Manchester United continues to be the subject of speculation after Barcelona opted against triggering the £25 million option to make his loan spell permanent. The Catalan side instead focused on alternative attacking reinforcements, completing the signings of Anthony Gordon for £69 million and Karim Adeyemi in a £25 million deal.
While there had been suggestions Rashford could return to Old Trafford and play a part in United's Champions League campaign, the expectation throughout the summer has been that he will move on. A £40 million release clause, which specifically excluded Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester City, lapsed on 15 July, leaving any potential transfer dependent on negotiations between the clubs involved.
Previous reports have indicated that Michael Carrick isn't against reintegrating the Englishman into the squad, as he would add crucial depth to the left wing and potentially even serve as striker cover should the club sell Joshua Zirkzee.
While many of the Old Trafford faithful would welcome the 28-year-old back with open arms, there are some concerns about a return for the Carrington graduate, with his wages making him one of the top earners at the club, and his preferred position on the left-wing would see him be a direct challenge to Matheus Cunha, who established himself as a fan favourite in his maiden season at Old Trafford.
Manchester United have already added key depth to the midfield after the quick double signing of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, but, as expected, the club are still looking for another addition to the middle of the park as Carrick's side prepare for a Champions League campaign.
AS Roma's Manu Koné has emerged as the club's most likely next midfield signing, with reports indicating that the club had an agreement in principle for the French midfielder.
However, as reported by Gazzetta Dello Sport, talks have slowed down in recent days, with some reservations within United about making a significant move for the Frenchman, with a £51 million deal not receiving unanimous backing from INEOS.
As AS Roma reportedly stands firm on their valuation, the outlet reports that one solution could involve including Marcus Rashford in a deal, with the Italian club in the market for a left-winger, as seen in their attempted moves for Alejandro Garnacho and Crysencio Summerville.
While Carrick isn't against reintegrating Rashford into the squad, INEOS could see the player as their most sellable asset as they continue to rebuild ahead of their 2026/27 campaign.
The outlet reports that, from a Manchester United point of view, using Rashford in a swap deal is appealing, as it would remove a considerable weekly wage bill from the books while also adding critical depth to the midfield.
However, the club could also end up spending much more money if they were to allow Rashford to leave Old Trafford. It's clear that the club are looking for striker depth, with Zirkzee already showing in pre-season that he is not an out-and-out number nine who can be a reliable backup to Benjamin Šeško. While not his natural position, Rashford has featured 168 times at striker across his career, scoring 67, and can also provide depth on the wing.
For Roma, this makes even less sense. Bringing Rashford to Italy on a high wage could seriously disrupt their wage structure and would mean that the winger would have to accept a substantial wage reduction to make the move realistic.