A surprising twist in the career of Marcus Rashford appears to be unfolding, with reports linking the Manchester United forward to a potential move to Turkish giants Fenerbahçe. The club is managed by none other than his former boss, José Mourinho, despite a history of friction between the two at Old Trafford.
Rashford’s time at Manchester United seems to be drawing to a close. After declaring his desire for a “new challenge” last December, he was loaned to Aston Villa for the latter half of the 2024-25 season.
However, Villa opted against a permanent deal, leaving his future in limbo. He has since returned to United’s Carrington training base but is not currently part of the first-team squad under new manager Ruben Amorim, who is reportedly eager for a transfer to materialize.
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According to reports from Turkish outlet T24, Mourinho is keen to be reunited with the England international. Fenerbahçe is said to be preparing a loan offer with an option to make the move permanent for around €46 million (£53m). This deal would shatter the club’s current transfer record, which was set at approximately €20m (£17.3m) for Youssef En-Nesyri just last year.
The potential move is notable given the pair’s strained relationship during Mourinho’s tenure at United from 2016 to 2018. The manager famously questioned Rashford’s attitude in a team meeting, and the forward’s refusal to celebrate a goal in a 2018 defeat to West Ham was widely noted. Mourinho also publicly criticized Rashford, along with other young players, for “lacking maturity” in an interview, describing them as “spoiled kids” in what was an extraordinary outburst at the time.
Rashford, a United academy graduate, has scored 138 goals in 426 appearances for the club, 28 of which came under Mourinho’s management. Meanwhile, Mourinho, who took the helm at Fenerbahçe last June, guided them to a second-place finish in the Turkish league last season.
