Man United exclude Man City from forward’s £40M release clause as summer exit looms | OneFootball

Manchester United have written a clause into Marcus Rashford’s contract that rules out both Manchester City and Liverpool from triggering his £40 million release fee, as per a new update.

Rashford’s situation at Old Trafford has been one of the more closely-watched subplots of the summer, with suitors elsewhere in Europe able to activate the release clause without needing to negotiate a fee directly with United’s hierarchy.

The 28-year-old enjoyed an eye-catching season on loan at Barcelona under Hansi Flick last term but it was not enough to convince the Blaugrana to sign the Manchester United graduate on a permanent basis, with the Spanish giants instead opting to bring Rashford’s England teammate Anthony Gordon to Catalunya from Newcastle instead.

Report: Man City & Liverpool meet Man United snub over Rashford

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Rashford’s £40 million release clause remains valid for interested parties across the continent, but neither Manchester City nor Liverpool can use the mechanism to sign the forward this summer.

For Manchester City, the update lands at an interesting point in Enzo Maresca‘s rebuild of the forward line, with the makeup of the club’s attacking options already shifting heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

Where Man City’s attack stands this summer

Erling Haaland remains entirely unaffected by speculation around him as City’s undisputed number nine, while Jeremy Doku is expected to be handed a new contract after a campaign that has taken his game to another level – form he has carried into international duty for Belgium at the FIFA World Cup.

Rayan Cherki has already been tipped as the long-term successor to Kevin De Bruyne following a breakout debut season at the Etihad Stadium – and Phil Foden is set to be given fresh terms despite two difficult campaigns and a snub from England’s World Cup squad. Antoine Semenyo, signed in January, is regarded as a shoo-in fixture in Maresca’s plans.

The picture is less settled further down the list. Savinho is expected to finally complete a permanent move to Tottenham after City blocked an identical approach last summer.

Jack Grealish looks set to leave the Etihad Stadium in some capacity and Omar Marmoush‘s future is described as the most uncertain of the group after a season of inconsistent opportunities under Pep Guardiola.

Does United’s Rashford clause change anything for City?

With Marmoush’s situation unresolved and Savinho’s exit advancing, City could plausibly have revisited the idea of competition in the wide-forward areas this summer – but there is little to suggest City’s interest in Rashford ever extended beyond the level of background admiration that comes with covering most elite forwards in the Premier League.

Hugo Viana‘s recruitment priorities remain firmly directed elsewhere, with City’s biggest outstanding business centred on midfield reinforcements such as Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali, alongside defensive business involving Vitor Reis and a long-term successor to John Stones.

United’s decision to write City and Liverpool out of Rashford’s release clause says more about Old Trafford’s anxieties over strengthening their two biggest rivals than it does about any genuine transfer plan at the Etihad Stadium – though whether City’s attack stays as settled as it looks right now remains to be seen.