Marcus Rashford showed no visible signs of anxiety about his club future as he trained in sweltering heat above 30C in Kansas City.
For now, his sole focus is on England’s World Cup campaign, with Wednesday’s Group L opener against Croatia in Dallas demanding his full attention.
Training sessions have seen Rashford link up with Jude Bellingham, Ivan Toney, Djed Spence, Eberechi Eze and Anthony Gordon as Thomas Tuchel’s squad prepare for the tournament.
The deadline for Barcelona to trigger a £26m clause to convert Rashford’s loan into a permanent deal has now passed without the option being activated.
Nobody connected to the situation expected the clause to be triggered, and the outcome surprised very few people involved.
From 1 July, Rashford will officially revert to being a Manchester United player, carrying a £325,000-a-week contract with two years still remaining on the deal.
Head coach Michael Carrick, who has been a team-mate, coach and caretaker manager of Rashford, was asked about the attacker’s future in April and said no decision had yet been made.
Carrick added: “Whoever’s here, I want to work with them and help them to improve.”
However, minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is pushing to reduce the club’s wage bill, making Rashford’s enormous salary a significant complication in any planning.
United have already handed Rashford’s number 10 shirt to Matheus Cunha and are not expected to reclaim it from the Brazilian forward.
Summer squad rebuilding plans are currently being constructed on the assumption that Rashford will not be part of the group going forward into next season.
Any thought of repeating last season’s exile strategy has been complicated by a new FIFA memorandum of understanding with global players’ union Fifpro, which confirmed that any player exiled from the main training group can demand to be released and have their contract paid up.
Manchester United’s most straightforward route to a resolution would be Rashford delivering a strong World Cup, widening interest from potential suitors and giving the club more options.
Bayern Munich have been suggested as a club with interest, while Aston Villa, where Rashford spent the second half of the 2024-25 campaign, have also qualified for the Champions League.
A return to Barcelona remains the option most favoured by bookmakers, despite the club’s reluctance to meet United’s asking price.
Rashford scored 14 goals and claimed 14 assists during his loan spell at the Nou Camp, making a meaningful contribution even without a guaranteed starting berth.
It appears to be Anthony Gordon’s £69.3m arrival from Newcastle United that has pushed Rashford down Barcelona’s list of priorities heading into the new season.
United currently have no appetite to negotiate a reduced fee, meaning the two clubs remain at an impasse with no immediate pressure to resolve the situation.
The critical window will arrive in the three-week gap between England’s World Cup conclusion and Rashford’s scheduled return to pre-season training at United.
Andre Onana, another high-earner United are keen to move on, will return for pre-season around the same time, potentially establishing a template that could inform how Rashford’s exit is eventually handled.
With the transfer window closing on 1 September, a definitive resolution to Rashford’s future will be required before that deadline arrives.
