Marcus Rashford scored the game-clinching fourth goal for England against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday night – a moment of pure release after a week in which Barcelona formally passed up the chance to sign him for £26m.
With the temperature climbing above 30C in Kansas City during training, Rashford had shown no outward concern about his club future. But the deadline had already passed. Barcelona had agreed a clause to turn his loan into a permanent deal; they did not trigger it. On 1 July, while Rashford hopes to be preparing for a World Cup last-32 tie in Atlanta, he will officially return to being a Manchester United player with a £325,000-a-week contract that still has two years to run.
“Rashford scores winner for England as Barcelona decline to sign him, leaving his United future uncertain.”
The irony was not lost on Spanish media. Anthony Gordon, the £70m Barcelona signing from Newcastle, started the match ahead of Rashford under manager Thomas Tuchel. But the new arrival was, as La Vanguardia put it, "very subdued", failing to complete either of his two first-half dribbles. "Tuchel wisely substituted Anthony Gordon for Marcus Rashford," El Periodico wrote, "reversing the transfer plan Barcelona had devised for the upcoming season." Madrid-based Las Razon added: "It was a goal with a certain intrigue, as Gordon has taken his place in the England starting line-up and his spot at Barcelona. But the former Newcastle player was barely involved throughout the match."
Rashford's future remains tangled. At Manchester United, head coach Michael Carrick said in April no decision had been made on the attacker, adding: "Whoever's here, I want to work with them and help them to improve." Yet minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to cut wage costs, and Rashford is the highest earner. United gave his number 10 shirt to Matheus Cunha last season and are rebuilding their squad in the belief he will not be part of it.
A year ago, then-head coach Ruben Amorim exiled Rashford to a 'bomb squad', training at separate times from the main group. Today, such ostracism would be riskier: last week, Fifa and players' union Fifpro announced that any player exiled from the main group can demand to be released and have their contract paid up. For now, United say they expect Rashford to return after his post-World Cup break. What that return actually looks like is anyone's guess.