According to the "Manchester Evening News", the newspaper's Manchester United and team reporter Steven Railston reported that Barcelona's permanent buyout clause of 26 million pounds agreed in Rashford's loan contract will expire in early June. The next month will be a very critical window for this transfer tug-of-war. United have made it clear that they will not lower the buyout fee, and Carrick has not completely closed the door when it comes to the possibility of Rashford returning.
Messi's Barcelona has an option to buy out Rashford for a certain amount after the loan expires this season. The amount is 26 million pounds, which is about 30 million euros. However, early news from Spain has shown that the Catalan club hopes to reach a corresponding deal at a lower price. The latest rumors claim that Barcelona will give up triggering the buyout option due to the deadlock over fees. Manchester United is unwilling to make any concessions. It has conveyed a position to the other party, which is "pay or don't talk."
Reports indicate this, with Barcelona now in contact with Gordon's team, and the timing of this contact is quite subtle. The transfer value of the Newcastle winger will be far more than 26 million pounds. If Barcelona intends to use Gordon as a means of pressure to lower Rashford's price, then such a strategy itself may be difficult to justify. The last time Barcelona paid a transfer fee of a similar level was back in 2019 when they signed De Jong from Ajax. Since then, they have been forced to be more cautious in the transfer market due to their financial situation.
Laporta publicly expressed his attitude in March, claiming that he would try to ensure that Rashford would stay with the team after the end of the season, and also mentioned that he could negotiate with Manchester United by paying part of the buyout fee and other similar methods. However, the option deadline stipulated in the contract will expire shortly after the end of the season, leaving Barcelona with only one month to make a decision.
When asked about the possibility of Rashford returning, Carrick said he felt some decisions had to be made at the right time, and Marcus was in such a situation. However, for now, nothing has been decided yet. At a certain stage, there will naturally be results, but there is no way to be sure yet. When pressed further on whether he said he would not close the door to any player, he added that he would not comment specifically on Marcus' situation. As a coach, he just wants to work with the players on the current team and try his best to help them show their best level. As for the future of loan players, it will come naturally when it comes.
There are also reports that the possibility of Rashford returning during the period when Amorim was coaching was non-existent. However, now that Carrick has taken over, there is really no way to say for sure that there is absolutely no chance. However, those outside should not over-interpret Carrick's comments.