Man Utd receive Marcus Rashford transfer timeline as Barcelona decide against move

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Manchester United are still awaiting formal confirmation on whether Barcelona intend to trigger the £26million clause that would make Marcus Rashford's move permanent, with a verdict on his future now expected to fall between the conclusion of the World Cup and the start of pre-season.

The La Liga outfit h ave until June 15 to activate the deal following the 28-year-old's season-long loan spell at Camp Nou during 2025/26. Throughout his time at Barca, Rashford notched 14 goals and laid on 14 assists in 47 outings, playing his part in securing the Spanish top-flight title for the second consecutive season.

Despite this, reports emerged on Wednesday suggesting Barca are expected to opt against making Rashford's deal permanent. Nevertheless, no 'official communication' has taken place between Barcelona and United concerning Rashford, with the Catalan club yet to inform the Reds of their intentions.

According to the BBC , the three-week window between the World Cup's conclusion and the start of pre-season is when the forward's fate is most likely to be sealed. Barca, who splashed £69.3m on landing Newcastle forward Anthony Gordon, remain insistent that a definitive decision on Rashford will arrive before the £26m deadline next week.

United have made clear they have no desire to renegotiate, and even those close to Rashford believe the deadline will pass without an agreement being reached, leaving him set to head back to Old Trafford for pre-season.

That, naturally, hinges on whether a rival club enters the running and attempts to lure him away during the World Cup, where he has the opportunity to catch the eye of potential buyers over the coming fortnight.

Rashford, who is vying with Gordon for the starting left-wing berth in the England set-up, has attracted attention from Arsenal and Bayern Munich this summer, with United eager to sell him in order to raise funds.

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Even if no suitor materialises for Rashford during the World Cup, his fate is anticipated to be settled in the window between England's tournament exit and his return to pre-season at United.

Rashford is understood to share a strong bond with current United head coach Michael Carrick - having worked alongside him as a player and a manager - and Carrick claimed in April that no definitive decision had yet been reached.

"There are decisions to be made in time on certain things. Marcus is in that situation," Carrick said as United prepared to face Chelsea in the Premier League . "At this point in time, nothing has been decided. It will be at a certain point because it has to be, but at this stage nothing has been decided."

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