Marcus Rashford could now STAY at Man Utd after showdown talks with club bosses

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Marcus Rashford could be offered an opportunity to salvage his Manchester United career following constructive discussions between the club and the player's representatives.

Rashford is currently at the World Cup with England but is expected to return to Carrington for pre-season in the coming weeks with his long-term future still unclear after spending last season on loan with Barcelona .

The 28 year old will link up with the first-team squad when he does arrive for training and will be in contention for selection during pre-season under Michael Carrick , meaning he could appear in some of the six friendlies United will contest before the new Premier League season.

It had been assumed that Rashford would depart Old Trafford for good in the transfer window, even after Barcelona opted against exercising the clause to sign him permanently for £26million and instead pursued a £69m deal for his England colleague, Anthony Gordon .

Now, though, there is a sense that Rashford could stay at United past the close of the transfer window after discussions between both parties established the foundation for his return in pre-season. And there is now a readiness on all sides to explore a reintegration for Rashford, per the Manchester Evening News .

That outcome is far from certain, and a late window offer could yet alter the picture, but United are currently unwilling to sanction a third loan spell after Rashford's stints at Aston Villa and Barcelona. Rashford had been keen to prolong his time in Catalonia, but United are reluctant to enter fresh negotiations with the La Liga outfit.

Premier League clubs are expected to circle for Rashford this summer, though he would sooner run down the final two years of his contract than commit to a permanent switch to another top-flight side at this point.

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That has left the door ajar for a return to United, and it had already been settled that Rashford would feature in the first-team setup this summer, having been ostracised into the 'bomb squad' by Ruben Amorim 12 months ago.

United are keen to bolster their left flank this summer and have cast their eye over Everton's Iliman Ndiaye and West Ham's Crysencio Summerville as possible targets, though those pursuits could be abandoned should Rashford remain at Old Trafford.

He could battle it out with Matheus Cunha and Patrick Dorgu on the left and would also provide cover for Benjamin Sesko through the middle.

Should Rashford be brought back into the fold, United could redirect funds set aside for a wide left signing towards further midfield reinforcement, with Manuel Ugarte now set to miss most of next season through a serious knee injury.

For the time being, United press on with their pursuit of West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, having already wrapped up the signing of Ederson from Atalanta.

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