Marcus Rashford is set to return to Manchester United at the end of his loan deal with Aston Villa, as confirmed by Fabrizio Romano. The 28-year-old English international joined Villa on loan from Manchester United in January 2025, after being left out of the squad by new coach Rúben Amorim for three months.
It all started when he and Garnacho were not called up to the squad for a particular match. For Rashford—an academy graduate and one of the highest earners in the squad—being dropped by the coach became mainstream news.
Eventually, in an interview, Rashford revealed that he was "open to a new challenge," which some interpreted as disrespectful or as a sign that he wanted to leave. Amorim reportedly stated that Rashford knew what he needed to do to make the team. While Garnacho was later recalled, Rashford remained completely frozen out—not even making the bench. Garnacho is now also set to leave after an altercation with Amorim, following his benching in the Europa League final.
Rashford was eventually loaned to Villa with a £40 million buy option. However, Villa has since revealed that they will not be activating that option, and Rashford is now set to return to United. He remains available for sale at £40 million, with Barcelona reportedly keen on a loan move for the player.
Rashford himself, in several interviews, has expressed openness to the prospect of joining Barcelona. He praised Lamine Yamal and stated that he would like to play with him someday.
Though Rashford made an impression at Villa, a hamstring injury cut his time there short. And while his stint was brief, it can still be considered a moderate success. He also returned to the England squad during this period after a year-long absence. His brightest moment at Villa was arguably when he grabbed an assist in the match against PSG.