Manchester United may be forced to lower their asking price for Rashford. If a move to Barcelona falls through, he will quickly return to the club and collect his top salary.

Manchester United has abandoned any expectation of finalizing Rashford's exit before June 15. Per the loan contract, Barcelona can buy him outright for €30 million (£26 million) until that day. Yet the Spanish champions have stated they will not exercise that option for a permanent deal.

United sees Rashford's 14 goals and 14 assists for Barcelona this season as well worth €30 million. However, Barcelona is only willing to pay half that amount, citing his age, high wages, and lack of resale value.

Manchester United does not plan to reintegrate Rashford into the squad. Despite Carrick's lineup missing a left winger, the 28-year-old English star is not being considered to fill that gap. Similarly, Rashford himself has no desire to return.

Both parties want to part ways. The situation will change after June 15, when the €30 million buyout clause expires. United has insisted on not renegotiating the price with Barcelona, but its stance will have to shift after that date.

Although last week Barcelona signed Anthony Gordon from Newcastle for €80 million, which upset Rashford and his camp, he remains eager and determined to stay at Camp Nou. Two options are available: first, taking a pay cut—reportedly willing to accept 45% less salary, spreading the same total wages from a three-year contract over five years.

The second strategy is to pressure United into selling him to Barcelona at a reduced price. A reference case is Antony, who joined Real Betis last season. United wanted €40 million, but the Brazilian winger only agreed to join Betis, and the final fee was €25 million plus €3 million in add-ons, with United retaining 50% of any future sell-on fee.

According to British media outlet "iPaper," Rashford's method of pressuring United will not be a training boycott but rather an announcement that he will report to United's pre-season training camp "at the earliest opportunity."

The 28-year-old Rashford reportedly says he maintains a good relationship with the club and would be happy to report back before the pre-season. It is understood that once Rashford does so, Carrick will not arrange for him to train separately from the first-team squad.

Barcelona also plans to sign Bernardo Silva and Julián Álvarez. If these moves materialize, both budget and playing time will be further squeezed. Rashford's £325,000 weekly wage is a major issue for United, Barcelona, or any other potential suitor. After Casemiro's departure, it is already United's highest salary in the squad.

Under the new ownership, United is significantly cutting wage costs. If Rashford stays, his annual salary would be nearly £17 million due to the team's return to the Champions League.

Therefore, if Rashford insists on joining only Barcelona, the most likely outcome is that United will compromise, agreeing to a reduced sale or another loan. The latter is not ideal, as his contract enters its final year in 2027 and he is approaching 30.

It is certain that bringing Rashford back into Carrick's squad is not an option. The ideal scenario would be for Rashford to perform well at the World Cup, competing with Gordon for the left-wing starting spot for England. He may be highly motivated to excel in that tournament, and if he does, it could attract interest from other clubs, such as Bayern Munich and Arsenal.

That would give United better negotiating leverage to secure a fee close to Barcelona's €30 million buyout amount. Exceeding €30 million is highly unlikely, as any potential buyer knows the full story, and Rashford seems willing to take a pay cut only for Barcelona, which makes a move to other clubs more difficult.

Once United offloads Rashford, Mason Mount, André Onana, and Ugarte, future player sales may become easier, because the new wage structure no longer contains many players with such a stark gap between earnings and performance level.