Carrick driving Man Utd bid to sign £80m England star

It would be wrong to suggest it’s been a season without upheaval at Manchester United – just ask Ruben Amorim – yet there’s been a refreshing sense of quiet and calm among the playing ranks, in stark contrast to previous years at Old Trafford.

There’s been no talk of disquiet or discontent, while off-field issues look to be a thing of the past, following a string of sagas involving the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and, of course, Marcus Rashford.

Whether it was warranted or not, Rashford was so often a talking point prior to his exile under Amorim, with the debate over his future and status having become tiresome in the end.

A potential permanent stay for Michael Carrick has sparked talk of a surprise return to Manchester for the Barcelona loanee, although that appears a path best avoided for all parties, particularly if INEOS can snap up other targets instead.

Carrick could be crucial to sealing £80m Man Utd deal this summer

Rashford’s stint in Catalonia hasn’t been perfect, but one would imagine that 27 goals and assists in 46 games would be enough to warrant a seemingly bargain £26m investment at the end of the season.

As ever, Barcelona appear to be pleading poverty, however, with doubts emerging over whether the LaLiga giants will cough up, having reportedly ‘cooled’ their interest in such a deal.

A return to the fold under Carrick could be an option, particularly considering the lack of left-wing alternatives at the Theatre of Dreams, although INEOS might well have their eyes set on another England star instead.

Indeed, as noted by journalist Ben Jacobs – speaking to the United Stand – if Carrick is to stay put beyond this season, he could well make Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers one of his “primary targets”.

The current United head coach notably managed the 23-year-old back at Middlesbrough, with there a sense that INEOS could capitalise on that connection at a time when Rogers’ long-term future at Villa Park is in doubt.

Unai Emery’s side are unlikely to cash in on the cheap, however, with prior reports indicating that he could fetch a minimum of £80m this summer.

Why Rogers could be Rashford 2.0 at Old Trafford

Much has been said and written of Rashford’s woes in a United shirt, with the lack of consistency a persistent issue over the last decade or so. The highs of his 30-goal campaign in 2022/23 were memorably followed by the lows of scoring just eight goals the following year.

That being said, it would be wrong to overlook the Englishman’s brilliance at his best, emerging from boy wonder into genuine superstar for a time, racking up 138 goals and 79 assists in 426 games in all competitions.

Operating typically in that left channel, when fit, firing and confident, the 28-year-old was almost “unstoppable” at times, in the view of Erik ten Hag, boasting a devastating combination of pace, power and ruthless finishing prowess.

Watching Rogers in full flow in the present day certainly evokes memories of Rashford in his pomp, with the one-time Manchester City man also an elite ball carrier, thriving off the left primarily, much like his Three Lions teammate.

Something of a powerhouse talent – having even been likened to a “young Wayne Rooney” by Glenn Hoddle – Rogers has that Rashford-esque knack for being able to drag his team up the pitch, fending off opposition defenders with ease such is his impressive size and stature.

Such quality was no more evident than against United earlier this season, with the £80m man rifling home twice in almost identical fashion from the left, having given Leny Yoro the run around in that December meeting.

The manner in which he is able to lash home from range is certainly Rashford-esque, if not Ronaldo-esque, with the former boasting a stellar catalogue of goals in a United shirt, including in the Manchester derby at the Etihad in 2023/24.

Formerly a teammate of Rashford at Villa Park, Rogers has emerged as a talismanic figure under Emery to date, now up to 22 goals and assists for the season following Thursday’s 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the Europa League.

That status and responsibility, as ‘Rashy’ found at Old Trafford, has come with its own expectation, with Rogers’ form having been a continued talking point among those of a Villa persuasion, having scored just two league goals in 2026.

The search for consistency at the age of just 23 is to be expected, however, while the forward in full flow can be unstoppable in his own right, hailed as a “monster” by Dr Phil Barter.

If United supporters can accept that there might be peaks and troughs – as there was for Rashford – then Rogers could emerge as Old Trafford’s next shining English star under Carrick’s watch.