The unlikely Manchester United reunion is close to completion.

When Marcus Rashford was unveiled by Barcelona in July 2025, at the start of a season-long loan, no-one expected he would find himself back at Old Trafford 12 months later.

United gave his coveted number 10 shirt to new arrival Matheus Cunha.

Rashford was also looking to the future as he assessed the move to Spain.

"[Manchester United] is in a period of change and have been for a while," the forward said at his Barca unveiling last summer.

"I don't have anything bad to say as it has been an important part, not just of my career but my life, so I was grateful for the opportunity. I wish them all the best and hope they are successful in the future."

Barring an unexpected late twist, that future will now include him.

If his return to United is in line with the club's other World Cup players, who have all come back about three weeks after their final game in the tournament, he will be involved in next week's Maynooth training camp in the Republic of Ireland.

Should that happen, his first game could be against an AC Milan side managed by former boss Ruben Amorim, in Wroclaw on 15 August, depending on what his current manager, Michael Carrick, views as the wisdom of Rashford featuring against Leeds at Croke Park on 12 August with just a couple of days' training behind him.

At virtually every stage of the past year, the expectation was Rashford would not spend the 2026-27 season at Manchester United.

He scored 11 goals and made 14 assists as Barca won the La Liga title, the Spanish Super Cup and reached the Champions League quarter-finals.

When Barcelona decided not to activate the £26m clause to buy the 28-year-old, whose United contract expires in 2028, it was thought to be a negotiating tactic, aimed at taking Rashford on another loan.

But the signing of German winger Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund on 23 July, following the arrival of England winger Anthony Gordon, seemed to end that possibility.

Rashford posted a farewell note to the club on social media on 30 July. A day later, Barca manager Hansi Flick was asked about the forward following a pre-season game at Birmingham.

"He is a fantastic player and a fantastic person," said Flick. "The team miss him, I will miss him, but it is life. This is what we have to accept."

That reality has created a new one.

Rashford is contracted to Manchester United until 2028. His salary of £325,000 a week makes him the club's top earner at a time when minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is trying to stay on top of wage costs, which is, by some distance, the club's highest expenditure.

United's transfer activity has slowed since Belgium midfielder Youri Tielemans joined them for £35m on 14 July.

While uncertainty over Rashford's future is not the entire reason for this, it is a basic truth that United's search for a left-sided attacking player, or another striker, will be affected if he stays at the club because he can play in both positions.

Equally, the amount United can pay in wages will differ depending on whether Rashford's salary is part of the overall bill.

Many fans are conflicted.

Plenty feel Rashford's fallout with Amorim over his performances in training was reflective of someone who no longer felt the joy of playing for his boyhood club.

Comparisons were made with his performances prior to his exit from United and those at Aston Villa, with England and then Barcelona.

Others think Rashford is too good to be discarded; a local lad who would benefit from an arm around the shoulder and is capable of making a significant impact in Carrick's team.

The secondary point to that is could United sign a player of similar standing for £26m, given that is the fee sources close to Rashford feel would not be exceeded given it had been agreed with Barcelona?

Rashford is 15th in United's all-time goalscorers chart with 138. He needs 17 more to equal Paul Scholes in 10th spot.

Thirty-two of those goals were scored with Carrick as a team-mate.

Carrick also coached Rashford, then managed him for three games in a 10-day spell in 2021 between Ole Gunnar Solskjaer getting sacked and Ralf Rangnick being brought in as the Norwegian's temporary replacement.

The pair are said to get on well.

Any return under Amorim would have been reminiscent of Jadon Sancho's peace deal with Erik ten Hag that got through one pre-season trip to the USA and a seven-minute Community Shield appearance against Manchester City before he moved to Chelsea on loan.

But it is possible to see Carrick and Rashford working together with a degree of permanence.

Carrick is yet to speak to the wider media since United returned to pre-season training.

An expected partially open training session in Maynooth early next week has been scrapped, so, if Rashford does return as anticipated, there will be no external cameras to catch it.

Clubs in the Premier League and overseas have inquired about Rashford and will surely continue to do so until the transfer window closes on 1 September.

Manchester United continue to insist there will be no cut-price deal or loan.

Unless something significant happens in the coming days, Rashford's return will be complete.