Marcus Rashford heads to World Cup in limbo despite proving his value to Barcelona

Forward has generally thrived at the Camp Nou but Gordon’s arrival plus his salary and United’s transfer demands mean next move is not obvious

The next chapter of Marcus Rashford’s dysfunctional relationship with Manchester United may involve a long summer waiting to discover where he plays next season.

A state of limbo for a forward expected to start England’s World Cup opener against Croatia on 17 June in Dallas is an unusual predicament. Yet this is the latest juncture in a period of career uncertainty that began when the former head coach Ruben Amorim excluded Rashford from his first-team plans. That was in December 2024, loans at Aston Villa and Barcelona followed, and Rashford is still looking to put down roots, perhaps in Catalonia, something he may well have expected to transpire after scoring a free-kick against Real Madrid that proved pivotal in Barcelona’s La Liga-clinching clásico victory this month.