Transfers
United’s transfer options widen as Rashford’s £40m clause expires
Manchester United’s £40 million exit clause for England forward Marcus Rashford has expired, meaning any future sale now requires negotiation, The Athletic reports, and the striker remains on World Cup duty as England prepare for a third‑place playoff against France on Saturday after a semi‑final loss to Argentina.
The £40 million clause in Rashford’s contract has now lapsed, removing the automatic trigger for a sale. Any interested club must now negotiate a transfer fee with United.
United have long valued Rashford, a product of their academy who has been described as one of their brightest talents. Since his senior debut in February 2016, he has made 426 appearances and scored 138 goals across all competitions for Manchester United.
He spent the 2023‑24 season on loan at Barcelona after falling out of favour at Old Trafford, recording 14 goals in 49 appearances in all competitions. The performance impressed but did not convince Barcelona to activate their £26 million purchase option.
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Instead, Barcelona turned their attention to Rashford’s England teammate Anthony Gordon, signing him for £69 million. The move highlighted Barcelona’s willingness to spend but left Rashford’s permanent return unlikely. Rashford has publicly expressed a desire to rejoin Barcelona, yet the club’s decision not to trigger the option makes a Camp Nou return improbable. United therefore retain his registration for the upcoming season. At the World Cup Rashford has started two of England’s seven matches and scored after coming on as a substitute against Croatia. England are set to face France in the third‑place playoff on Saturday after a semi‑final defeat to Argentina. He is expected to return to Manchester United for pre‑season after a three‑week holiday following the tournament. The England forward remains on World Cup duty until the conclusion of the playoff. The expiry of the clause gives United flexibility to keep the forward for the new campaign, while any potential buyer will now have to negotiate a fee from scratch. The Man United hierarchy will decide his role for next season.