Paul Ince Advocates for Rashford's Future at Manchester United

Marcus Rashford’s Manchester United future sits on a knife-edge, but Paul Ince is adamant: this is not the moment to cut ties.

United are actively trying to move the winger on this summer after his loan at Barcelona came to an end. The Catalan club, impressed but ultimately unconvinced enough to commit, turned to Anthony Gordon instead of triggering a permanent deal for Rashford.

That decision has left Rashford in limbo. It has also left Ince shaking his head.

“I just think Michael Carrick can get the best out of him, I really, really do,” the former United midfielder told Oddschecker. “I think if you just put your arm around Rashford then you’re going to see a very, very good player. Fingers crossed that’s the case. But there’s one thing for sure, he is a very, very talented player and if he’s happy, he will perform for you.”

This is not blind nostalgia from a former pro. Ince has watched Rashford closely, particularly during his spell in Spain, and he is convinced the player United are trying to offload is the same one who lit up La Liga last season.

“I feel for Rashford, I really do, because I think he’s a fantastic player,” Ince said. “He can play off the left and he can play off the right. I’m not sure if many people watched him last year playing for Barcelona but he was scoring goals, he was enjoying himself, and he looked a completely different player.

“Then when you think Barcelona are going to sign him they get Anthony Gordon and it kills Rashford. You saw in the World Cup the magic he can bring, he’s got that talent.”

There is a sting in that Barcelona twist. Rashford returned to form there, found rhythm, scored regularly and shifted across the frontline with the freedom and confidence that once made him the face of United’s attack. The permanent move looked logical. Then it vanished.

Now the question is whether Old Trafford becomes a dead end or a rebirth.

Ince is clear where he stands. He believes Carrick’s style of leadership – calm, clear, quietly demanding – is exactly what Rashford needs at his boyhood club. Less public criticism, more trust. Less tactical rigidity, more licence to attack. The kind of man-management that doesn’t just set standards but makes a player want to meet them.

The evidence that Carrick can build something is already there. Last season he steered United to a third-place finish in the Premier League, dragging them back into the Champions League and restoring a measure of authority to a dressing room that had drifted.

United, though, are weighing up the market. They know Rashford remains a valuable asset. They also know his form in Manchester has fluctuated sharply and that his wages are significant. For the club’s hierarchy, the decision is financial and strategic. For Ince, it is footballing and emotional.

Keep him, back him, and reap the rewards. That is his message.

The calendar adds another layer of urgency. United open their 2026-27 Premier League campaign on 22 August against newly-promoted Hull City. By then, the club will have decided whether Rashford is part of Carrick’s plan or part of someone else’s rebuild.

If he stays, Hull could see the first glimpse of a redemption arc under a manager who knows Old Trafford as well as anyone. If he goes, United may only discover later whether they let a reborn forward walk out of the door just as he was ready to explode again.