Marcus Rashford’s future has been one of the biggest talking points of the summer after Barcelona decided not to make his loan move permanent.
The England international has been linked with several clubs around Europe, including teams from Italy, Germany and Turkey. There has also been interest from Saudi Arabia, while two Premier League clubs have reportedly considered signing him.
While Rashford and his representatives have been looking at the possibility of a permanent move away from Manchester United, the forward has continued working with Michael Carrick during pre-season training.
The 28-year-old has spent the last 18 months away from Old Trafford on loan. He first joined Aston Villa before spending the whole of last season at Barcelona.
Rashford enjoyed a successful campaign in Spain. The English forward helped Hansi Flick’s Barcelona win La Liga, giving him the first league title of his career.
However, Rashford’s future now appears much clearer after Manchester United gave him his squad number for the upcoming season.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United have handed Rashford the No. 14 shirt “as message to trust him”, with the England international expected to be part of Carrick’s plans for the new campaign.
However, a transfer away from Old Trafford is still possible. According to Romano, Manchester United could consider letting Rashford leave if a top European club makes a suitable offer.
The 28-year-old could be a useful player for Carrick, especially because Manchester United currently have limited attacking options.
Rashford can play on the left wing or as a centre-forward when needed. This means he could compete with Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Joshua Zirkzee for a place through the middle.
Meanwhile, Manchester United’s options on the wings include Amad Diallo, Bryan Mbeumo and now Rashford, while young talent Shea Lacey provides another option.
Having a player who scored 14 goals and provided 14 assists last season could be a major advantage for Carrick. Manchester United would also not need to spend any transfer money to add this level of attacking quality to the squad.
