Rashford set to stay at Old Trafford as Barcelona return ruled out before deadline

Marcus Rashford will stay at Manchester United this season after Barcelona decided against making his loan move permanent, with club chief Omar Berrada publicly welcoming the England forward back ahead of the summer transfer window closing.

Rashford had been strongly linked with a return to Spain following an impressive loan spell at the Catalan club, but Barcelona ultimately chose not to pursue a deal. He has since reintegrated into the United squad, appearing in both of the club’s opening Premier League fixtures against Hull City and Ipswich Town.

Writing in the matchday programme before United’s 5-2 win over Ipswich, Berrada said: “We’re also very pleased to welcome Marcus back to the team. We believe that they will all help to improve the squad as we compete on multiple fronts.”

Manager Michael Carrick echoed that sentiment after the Ipswich victory, offering a warm assessment of Rashford’s attitude and contribution since his return. “He’s adding to the group for us, for sure,” Carrick said. “He’s one of our own. He’s living his dream, playing here now and trying to be successful and win.”

Carrick added: “Whatever’s gone on, I think part of this club, there’s players that have come back sometimes, or players that maybe were going to leave, didn’t leave. It’s always about what you do next, and what your intentions are. He’s been fantastic since he came back.”

The Ipswich win — sealed by a Bruno Fernandes hat-trick, an own goal from Jacob Greaves, and an audacious lob from Bryan Mbeumo — provided a timely boost as United look to build momentum ahead of their Champions League opener against Sabah on 10 September.

United have been among the busier clubs in the summer window, completing signings of Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, and Karl Darlow at a combined outlay of close to £150 million. With the deadline at 11pm, Carrick may yet add further reinforcements before the window shuts.