Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is currently part of the England national team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but uncertainty continues to surround his future at Old Trafford. The English striker famously fell out with former head coach Ruben Amorim and has spent the past 18 months away from the club on loan.

Rashford first joined Aston Villa on a short-term deal in January last year before securing a season-long loan move to Barcelona last summer. The 28-year-old was outstanding in LaLiga, recording 14 goals and 14 assists to help the Catalan giants win both the league title and the Supercopa de España.

However, despite Rashford’s desire to remain at Camp Nou, Barcelona declined to activate the €30 million purchase clause in his contract. Instead, the club opted to bring in Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United, further fuelling speculation about Rashford’s next move.

While INEOS are said to be open to allowing Rashford to leave permanently, reports carried by The Peoples Person indicate that Manchester United are also considering reintegrating him into Michael Carrick’s squad. Club legend Paul Scholes has now shared his opinion on the situation.

Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Scholes expressed doubt about the idea of Rashford returning to United’s setup. He commented, “I think it’s only Michael [Carrick] who can do it, it’s only Michael.”

He elaborated, “It’s very rare for a big player, like Marcus, to go to another major club on loan for a year or two and then come back and play regularly for his original team. But if there’s anyone capable of turning things around, it would be Michael Carrick.”

A product of United’s youth academy, Rashford has so far recorded 138 goals and 79 assists in 426 appearances for the Red Devils. His current contract runs until 2028.

Scholes went on to suggest that the influence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi may have contributed to Rashford’s recent struggles. He said, “I think Marcus has been a little bit influenced by what Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi did.”

“It might sound strange because we’re talking about those two greats, but I think he’s become a bit lazy without the ball. He probably started to believe, ‘I’m that good,’ and, going forward, he really is that good.”

“He’s capable of beating defenders and scoring goals, somewhat like Kylian Mbappé. I know it’s a bold comparison, but he’s stopped tracking back. We’ve seen that even in England matches. A Manchester United winger can’t do that — historically, they’ve always had to run up and down the pitch constantly.”

Scholes continued, “It’s something common among many wingers nowadays. They watch Ronaldo and Messi and admire what they’ve done, which is incredible, but they ignore the defensive side of the game.”

“If you’re not on their level, you still have to do that work. That lack of defensive effort might put Michael off using Rashford because you don’t always have possession. But Marcus has the talent to destroy defences when he’s on his game.”

Although Rashford divides opinion among supporters, there’s no question that Manchester United could benefit from a player of his quality next season. However, his presence could also prove distracting for both teammates and fans, suggesting that a permanent move away from Old Trafford this summer might be in the best interests of all parties involved.