Carrick eyeing shock reunion with former teammate if he secures permanent role

Manchester United could be heading toward a truly shocking decision next summer as major plans begin to take shape behind the scenes.

Caretaker head coach Michael Carrick has enjoyed a dream start to his interim spell at Old Trafford.

He has guided United to statement victories over both Manchester City and Arsenal in the space of just two weeks.

Those results have already sparked growing media debate over whether Carrick deserves the job on a permanent basis if the momentum continues.

According to the Telegraph Sport, if Carrick is retained as United’s head coach, he would like Marcus Rashford to return to the Theatre of Dreams.

Rashford is currently spending the 2025–26 season on loan at Barcelona as he looks to revive his career away from Manchester.

The La Liga giants hold an option to sign him permanently for £26 million, but it remains unclear whether they will activate that clause.

Dream Rashford return is highly unlikely

Rashford has been a poster boy for United having risen through the ranks at their famous academy and making his senior debut in 2016.

The England international went on to make more than 400 appearances for the Red Devils before being frozen out by former manager Ruben Amorim.

Carrick is understood to share a strong personal relationship with Rashford, having played alongside him during the Louis van Gaal era at United.

The former midfielder has also made it clear that he wants the academy to be the heartbeat of United’s first team once again.

His faith in emerging stars like Kobbie Mainoo, coupled with his commitment to watching youth games in recent weeks, underlines his belief in homegrown talent.

While Rashford would undoubtedly add quality to the squad, a return on his current salary looks extremely unlikely.

The forward would instantly become one of the highest earners at Old Trafford if he were to come back.

INEOS have made conscious efforts to slash the wage bill and implement strict cost-cutting measures across the club.

In that financial climate, a Rashford reunion appears far more like fantasy than reality.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .