Marcus Rashford's Future at Manchester United: Transfer Deadline Speculation

Marcus Rashford’s Manchester United future is not completely locked in, with senior figures at Old Trafford refusing to rule out a late twist before Tuesday’s transfer deadline – and Arsenal and Barcelona both circling.

United have brought Rashford back into the fold, restored him to their matchday plans and handed him the number nine shirt. He featured off the bench in the opening-day defeat at Hull City, a clear signal that he is, for now, part of the club’s thinking.

Inside the club, the message is that they are planning with Rashford and want to keep him. But they are not blind to the market.

United are already allowing Joshua Zirkzee to join Fiorentina, trimming their forward options. Losing another attacker in the same window would force a serious rethink of their plans in the final third, so any move for Rashford would need to be backed by a clear replacement strategy.

Even so, sources have made it clear that a Rashford exit is not completely off the table. If the right proposal lands and United can reshape their attack quickly enough, the situation could move fast in the final days of the window.

Arsenal are one of the clubs watching closely. Having sanctioned Gabriel Martinelli’s move to Al-Hilal, they are pushing hard to reinforce the left side of their attack before the deadline. Real Madrid’s Endrick is among the players they have looked at, but Rashford is a long-standing object of admiration at the Emirates.

A late move for the England international is an option Arsenal are understood to be keeping open. With their need for a left-sided forward growing more urgent by the day, their interest carries real weight.

Barcelona are in the frame as well. The Catalan club remain strong admirers of Rashford after his successful loan spell at the Nou Camp last season and have kept a line of communication open with his camp throughout the summer.

They had initially hoped to go in a different direction, with Julian Alvarez a major attacking target. A deal to take the Atletico Madrid forward to the Nou Camp before Tuesday now looks highly unlikely, and that failure could push Barcelona back towards Rashford as the clock ticks down.

For now, United’s stance is that Rashford is back, involved and expected to stay. But with Arsenal searching for a left-sided solution, Barcelona still hovering, and the window heading into its frantic final stretch, his name remains one of the most intriguing to watch before the deadline slams shut.