A new revelation claims that the former Manchester United head coach, Ruben Amorim, wasn’t solely responsible for the departure of Marcus Rashford.
The 28-year-old was one of the club’s biggest stars over the past decade. But after a series of highs and lows, he was shown the door in 2025.
Shortly following his appointment as a replacement for the sacked Erik ten Hag, Amorim decided to drop Rashford from his plans. It all began in mid-December, when he was omitted from the squad for the Manchester Derby.
Why Marcus Rashford can’t return to Man Utd despite Amorim’s exit
In January 2025, Man Utd put Rashford on the transfer list, and he ended up joining Aston Villa on loan for the rest of the season. The following summer, he sealed his dream move to Barcelona and enjoyed a decent 2025/26 campaign on loan with the Blaugrana, contributing with 14 goals and as many assists.
| Rashford’s Stats in 25/26 | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| LaLiga | 32 | 8 | 9 |
| Champions League | 11 | 5 | 4 |
| Copa del Rey | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Supercopa | 2 | 0 | 0 |
However, the Catalan giants opted to sign Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United for £80 million rather than exercise their option to buy Rashford for £26 million, leaving the latter’s future up in the air.
Whilst it has been suggested that the Red Devils could reinstate the England international now that Amorim is gone, the Manchester Evening News writer Tyrone Marshall rules out this possibility.
The journalist insists that Rashford is no longer part of the club’s plans, adding that Amorim’s exit hasn’t drastically altered the situation, as the Portuguese manager wasn’t the only one who wanted the player gone.
“As things stand, it’s very difficult to see how Rashford has any future at Old Trafford. He doesn’t fit the squad culture that is being built and he doesn’t fit the wage structure, either,” wrote Marshall.
“United are in the market for one of those, as well, but Rashford won’t be the answer. The decision to remove him from the first-team squad and try and move him on was a club-led call, not one forced by Amorim.”
Marshall added that Barcelona have until June 15th to activate their buy-option clause, but the decision is set in stone. The Spanish champions might consider another loan move, but MUFC would only accept it if Barca are willing to cover his entire £325k-per-week salary.
Will anything change for Rashford at Man Utd this summer?
While Marshall downplayed Amorim’s role in Rashford’s departure, it should be remembered that the former Sporting Club manager often criticised the player in public. He even went on to say he’d rather play his 63-year-old goalkeepers’ coach rather than fielding the Manchester native.
Needless to say, we’re unlikely to hear Michael Carrick uttering a similarly blunt statement regarding Rashford, or any other player for that matter.
The more diplomatic Englishman might be willing to accomodate his former teammate during the summer and allow him to train with the rest of the squad. But as Marshall notes, a full restoration remains highly unlikely, as the club has already moved on from Rashford and the rest of the so-called ‘bomb squad’.
Therefore, the versatile attacker would be wise to start searching for a new club rather than clinging to hopes that are unlikely to materialise.
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