Rashford firmly refuses to accept a pay cut to facilitate a transfer, and Manchester United expects him to stay. Despite facing an awkward situation, he has received support from Carrick.

The Daily Mail has disclosed that both Manchester United internally and Marcus Rashford's representatives generally believe he will most likely rejoin the club next season, continuing to play for his boyhood team. Even though this could lead to some embarrassing situations, it is the best choice for Rashford in terms of both sports and economics.

Although there is still one month left until the transfer window closes, the future of the 28-year-old England international remains uncertain. However, any departure must take into account his weekly salary of £325,000, which was set when he signed a five-year contract with Manchester United in 2023. With United's return to the Champions League, Rashford has also resumed receiving his full wages.

This is one of the reasons why Manchester United has been seeking to sell Rashford, but it is also why the sale process has not gone smoothly. British media have stated bluntly that the idea of Rashford accepting a pay cut is "unrealistic."

The Daily Mail reports that teams including two Premier League clubs are still considering signing Rashford. Clubs from Italy, Germany, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia are also open to potential loan deals. Among them, Turkish Süper Lig side Fenerbahçe is reportedly willing to "go to any lengths" to bring in Rashford.

However, in reality, there are likely very few teams willing to match Rashford's salary level while also being attractive enough for the player. After Casemiro, who earned £350,000 per week, left upon contract expiration, Rashford's £325,000 weekly wage is now the highest in the squad. The dream of returning to Barcelona has been shattered, and the Manchester United star has no motivation to accept a lower income to join another club.

According to Manchester United's schedule, Rashford, England teammate Kobbie Mainoo, and Argentine center-back Lisandro Martínez will be the last players to return this summer. They are expected to join the training camp next Monday, and after a week of training in Dublin, Ireland, they will participate in friendlies against Leeds United and AC Milan.

If Rashford and Mainoo play against Milan, the match will draw significant attention because both England internationals were sidelined under Portuguese manager Ruben Amorim. Rashford was banished from the dressing room by Amorim and became one of the "five outcasts"; Mainoo, although training normally, lost his place and had zero Premier League starts in the first half of last season. And now, Amorim is the new head coach of AC Milan!

However, before that, Rashford will first have to face some awkward situations. William Bitibiri of Sky Sports UK said: "He no longer even has a squad number at Manchester United. His No.10 shirt now belongs to Cunha. So it feels like Rashford has become a substitute, which is naturally a bit awkward. In a few days, Rashford will return to the Carrington training ground, walk into the dressing room, and find someone else sitting in his old spot. This scene is very embarrassing."

Manchester United had undoubtedly decided long ago that Rashford would not return, because it is rare to strip a player of his number while he is still under contract, and only Rashford and Sancho received this treatment. The No.10 was given to Cunha during Rashford's loan, and the No.25 was taken by Ugarte when Sancho was loaned out.

In contrast, the No.9 shirt of Højlund, who has already transferred to Napoli, has not yet been assigned a new owner, and the No.24 shirt of André Onana, who is on a second loan to Trabzonspor, is also vacant. Garnacho, Tyrell Malacia, and others only had their numbers given to other players after they were officially transferred.

However, TeamTalk reports that Rashford at least has one supporter at Manchester United, namely head coach Carrick. It is said that Carrick is "genuinely excited" to work with his former teammate and believes he will be a key figure next season.

The report states: "Carrick and his coaching staff do not see Rashford's salary as an issue. Instead, they are focused on finding opportunities to reintegrate a player they believe still has a significant role to play in the new structure."