Rashford rejects Fenerbahce move as United weigh deadline-day loan deals

Marcus Rashford has told Fenerbahce he does not want to join them, ending the Turkish club’s pursuit of the 28-year-old and leaving his immediate future at Manchester United beyond Tuesday’s transfer deadline. Meanwhile, Joshua Zirkzee is closing in on a loan move to Fiorentina, with an obligation to buy expected to be included in the deal.

Rashford is pushing for a place in the starting XI against Ipswich this weekend, and despite Fenerbahce securing their Champions League place — a development that had been seen as potentially persuasive — all parties now accept he will remain at Old Trafford for now. Chelsea and Arsenal have been mentioned as clubs who could test the water early next week, but that scenario is considered unlikely, and United would be reluctant to sanction a sale to a direct rival.

Zirkzee’s departure has been anticipated for much of the summer. The Dutch forward was prepared to leave in January, had a change of heart in the early weeks of pre-season, but with first-team minutes hard to come by, an exit is now viewed as a near certainty. Fiorentina lead the race among several interested clubs.

With Zirkzee’s likely exit creating a gap in the squad, United are keeping their options open at both left-back and in attack. Lewis Hall and Myles Lewis-Skelly were considered at left-back, but both have stayed at Newcastle and Arsenal respectively. Alejandro Balde remains a possibility — the Barcelona full-back could leave before the deadline — though a mismatch in preferred deal structure, with Barcelona wanting a sale and United preferring a loan, complicates any agreement. United’s net spend this summer stands at £110 million, and any late business is expected to take the form of stop-gap loan deals rather than permanent signings. The club has completed a deadline-day signing in each of the last six summers.

Elsewhere, Benjamin Sesko has opted to keep the No. 30 shirt he wore last season rather than take the vacant No. 9 following Rasmus Hojlund’s permanent move to Napoli. The Slovenian wore the number at Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig and considers it personal — he never had any intention of switching, despite the expectation from some quarters that he would claim the more traditional centre-forward number after an impressive debut campaign at Old Trafford following his £73 million move from Leipzig.