‘Watch this space’: Ferdinand urges Man Utd to U-turn on £40m deal before they regret it

Rio Ferdinand has urged Manchester United chiefs to keep hold of Marcus Rashford after witnessing how revitalised he looked in training.

The forward returned to Carrington at the start of the week before flying out to link up with the squad for their training camp in Dublin.

What did Ferdinand have to say about Rashford?

Ferdinand also spent some time with the players while they’ve been undergoing their preparations for the new season and was mesmerised by what he saw of Rashford.

“Rashford is back at Manchester United at the training ground and guys, he’s like a purring Ferrari, man,” said the ex-defender on his YouTube channel.

“He looks fit, he looks ready. And you know what, there’s a smile on his face and there’s a little spring in his step.

“We don’t know which way this is going to go and how it’s going to pan out by the end of this transfer window. But you know what, I hope he stays, and he will be like a new signing at the football club.

“And could this be the motivated Marcus Rashford to come out and prove all the doubters and all the people wrong? And all the naysayers.

“I hope it is. Let’s watch this space.”

Rashford preparing for official United return

As things stand, Rashford will indeed be staying put at Old Trafford for the coming season.

However, INEOS would facilitate a sale if a suitable offer arrived – presumably one in the region of his £40 million release clause that expired last month.

Michael Carrick is understandably keen on having a player who notched 28 goal contributions in his ranks ahead of his first full campaign in charge, but it’s Rashford’s £325,000-a-week wages that are making the club hesitant to keep him on board.

Rashford’s record for Barcelona in 2025/2026

Yet, with the academy graduate being tied down to a deal until June 2028, INEOS will have no choice but to reintegrate him if a willing buyer isn’t found.