Stay or go - at 28, Rashford faces big Man Utd call

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Marcus Rashford spent last season on loan at Barcelona By Simon Stone Manchester United reporter Published 10 minutes ago Marcus Rashford's World Cup ended with a considered and thoughtful social media post, issued in the aftermath of England's amazing 6-4 third-place play-off victory over France in Miami. Disappointments are guaranteed in football, he said, before opening out in a more positive vein and stating firmly: "Keep believing in us. Our time will come." He added: "Now it's time for me to rest, reflect, spend some quality time with family and friends, and come back a better version of myself." 'Reflect' is the big word in that overview. At 28, Rashford is moving into what should be the prime years of his career. He has just won his first league title, La Liga with Barcelona, has 77 England caps and featured in six out of eight games as Thomas Tuchel's side delivered the country's best World Cup performance since 1966. But in reality, a large part of what Rashford will be reflecting on with his family - some of whom are also key figures in terms of guiding his career - is whether his club future lies at Manchester United. What is the latest? Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Marcus Rashford scored 14 goals in 49 appearances for Barcelona in the 2025-26 campaign Rashford is contracted to Manchester United until 2028. His salary of £325,000 a week makes him the club's top earner at a time when minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is trying to stay on top of salary costs, which are, by some distance, the club's highest expenditure. Barcelona had an option, in the loan deal they agreed for Rashford last season, to turn it into a permanent transfer for £26m. As expected, that deadline passed in the middle of June without it being activated. There was another clause in Rashford's contract that allowed other clubs - Liverpool and Manchester City excepted - to buy him for £40m, which expired earlier in July. As expected, no-one triggered that either. Sources close to the player felt it was illogical to think a club would come in and offer more than Barcelona would have had to pay. With England's World Cup campaign at an end, Rashford is now entitled to a three-week break. Unless the timings are altered, or his situation changes, he will return to Manchester United just as they begin a six-day training camp in the Republic of Ireland, scheduled around an historic meeting with old rivals Leeds at Croke Park on 12 August. Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Michael Carrick (right) was Rashford's manager for three games after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in November 2021 Suggestions around Rashford have been that he is relaxed about the prospect of returning to training at United. For a start, there is not the same confrontational relationship between the player and his coach. Ruben Amorim fell out with the forward within weeks of his arrival from Sporting Lisbon. Amorim eventually exiled him,