What is Marcus Rashford? Is he a good player, or not? Is he worthy of Manchester United, Barcelona or the Turkish Super Lig? Does he fit into Michael Carrick’s plan at United? And do United fans even want him back?
I could ask even more questions. Because no current United player is quite so puzzling and divisive right now as Rashford. This is a guy who, as his chant says, is Manc born and bred, a proud product of the United academy, who has played more than 400 games for the club and often excelled. A winner of the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award. An owner of FA Cup, Europa League and League Cup winners’ medals, all in United colours. An England international and recent World Cup goalscorer.
Yet Rashford’s return to Old Trafford this summer has prompted much debate among supporters. His 18 months away from the club on loan, after a public falling out with former boss Ruben Amorim, have created distance between Rashford and the United fanbase. Is he still our boy? The old adage suggests that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but clearly not in this case.
The nature of Rashford’s exit from the main stage at United, in January 2025 is what sticks in the teeth for many. Amorim once described the forward as someone who "doesn't give the maximum every day", his attitude and training performances have been criticised and there has been the odd dose of off-field controversy, for example under Erik ten Hag when Rashford embarked on an unsanctioned night out in Belfast.
Fans are also unsure how to assess Rashford’s performances for Barcelona and England of late, in which he has seemed better suited to being a substitute. He did not rip up trees with Aston Villa either – despite the media’s best efforts to champion the narrative that players always thrive away from United – so where do we now stand? Are United lumbered with an unwanted player, or can he thrive back at his boyhood club?
The truth is that Rashford is fallible. He is human and he is multifaceted. For every piece of flak he receives from a manager, there is a story that portrays him as a warm and kind character, a guy who applied pressure on a Tory government to end child food poverty, a guy who regularly has time for selfie-seeking supporters. He comes across well in interviews.
Peak Rashford came in the 2022-23 season under Ten Hag, in which he plundered 30 goals in 56 appearances across all competitions and had the Stretford End belting out his name on a regular basis. Yet that campaign stands out as the exception to the rule in his career. In 2021-22 he netted five times; in the seasons since 22-23 it’s been eight, 11 and 14 goals. Expecting Rashford to return to United this season and reach those dizzy heights is unrealistic.
The reality of his financial and contractual situation are the main reasons he finds himself back at Carrington. Few clubs can afford his wages after Barcelona declined to take up the option to buy him for £26m, signing Anthony Gordon for almost £70m instead. You can question the logic of that decision if you like, but it’s a damning indictment on Rashford given the players were considered similarly by England manager Thomas Tuchel at the start of the summer.
At 28, you’d think there are still plenty of solid Rashford seasons ahead, though the fear is the player is following a similar trajectory to Raheem Sterling in burning out by the age of 30 after breaking into first team football as a teenager. Miles on the clock and all that.
Despite interest from Turkish side Fenerbahçe (which would seem premature for a player of his age) United are now expected to retain Rashford as part of their squad this season, with another two years to run on his Old Trafford contract. His salary, reported to be in excess of £300,000 per week, is now out of kilter with the rest of the squad, many of whom have been signed during his period of absence on more modest wages. Whether Rashford can justify top-earner status at United this season seems highly doubtful. His reputation at the club has diminished, returning to see his old shirt number gone, snapped up by 2025 signing Matheus Cunha, who will also begin the season in Rashford’s favoured left wing role.
Carrick clearly intends to use Rashford as a rotation option in his forward line and, in fairness, you can understand why. Bolstering the attack is (rightly) not a priority in the current summer transfer window, so why wouldn’t you use a player of Rashford’s calibre, even if his wages are a bit steep? Recent reports claim Carrick is “genuinely excited” about the prospect of working with Rashford again.
We may get some answers regarding Marcus Rashford in the coming weeks and months, or we may not. The most likely outcome is another enigmatic campaign. Strap yourselves in.
Dominic Booth
I feel with rashford it’s mental and I’m gambling that carrick can help and that’s a scary thing for other teams because some years ago top defenders were saying rashford is the most dangerous forward they’ve faced