Marcus Rashford is expected to return to Manchester United this summer after a productive loan spell at Barcelona, and his prospects of winning back his place in the side have been boosted by support from a long-serving team-mate. Harry Maguire, the United centre-back, has expressed his backing for the 28-year-old attacker's return, signalling that the squad is open to welcoming him back.
Rashford's loan success and Barcelona's decision
Rashford enjoyed one of his most impressive campaigns in recent years while in Spain, playing a key role in Barcelona's La Liga success with a return of 14 goals and 14 assists across all competitions. Despite this, Barcelona invested £70 million in Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon instead of making Rashford's move permanent, casting doubt over his next move.
Maguire's support for Rashford
When asked whether he and his team-mates would welcome Rashford's return, Maguire told The Rest Is Football: "Yeah, of course, I have an amazing relationship with Marcus and have had some great times with him over the years. I know what a wonderful player he can be. I'm sure it's up to the club and up to Marcus to find a mutual agreement. Of course, if Marcus does come back, we want him to come back and play and be happy and confident. It needs to be right for himself, it needs to be right for the club, but everyone knows what a great player Marcus can be for whatever club he plays for next season."
Scholes' criticism and team-mates' upset
Maguire's stance differs markedly from that of United legend Paul Scholes, who previously urged his former club to "banish" Rashford following his contentious comments. Scholes told The Overlap Fan Debate: "I think Marcus has let a lot of people down really, with his attitude, and I think that's what the manager is trying to say. OK, he's not refusing to play, but in the way he's behaving and the way he's training, in a way he is saying I don't want to be involved with these. So I think the fact of letting your team-mates down in that dressing room, he should be banished from the dressing room, really. If he's in and around that and young people are seeing that as an example, the sooner he's gone the better."
Background of the rift
Rashford's relationship with United deteriorated under former manager Ruben Amorim, who dropped him after Rashford publicly stated he was "ready for a new challenge" elsewhere. The academy graduate's contentious remarks are reported to have caused considerable upset among a number of United players, particularly as they came just days after the club's commanding derby victory over Manchester City in December 2024. A source close to the squad told The Sun: "Some of the players are really annoyed at what Marcus said and why he chose to say it at the time. They were all buzzing after beating City and then he basically put in a transfer request after being dropped for one game."
Contract and future
The Manchester-born star still has two years remaining on his contract, reportedly pocketing £325,000 per week, and is expected to return to Carrick's squad once England's World Cup campaign comes to an end – provided no transfer developments materialise in the interim. Michael Carrick has been confirmed as the permanent head coach, and Maguire's comments suggest the squad is willing to give Rashford a chance to thrive under his leadership.
