Man United rule out Man City and Liverpool over Rashford's £40m clause

Manchester United have included a remarkable clause in Marcus Rashford's contract: both Manchester City and Liverpool are excluded from activating the £40 million buyout. This is reported by The Athletic journalist David Ornstein. The clause remains in force for all other interested clubs in Europe, meaning they can join United without negotiating the transfer fee.

The measure mainly underlines United's desire not to strengthen direct title rivals. Moreover, there is little sound from Manchester City that indicates a targeted attempt towards Rashford. According to English reports, the focus at the national champion is on reorganizing the selection: Erling Haaland is the undisputed striker, Jeremy Doku had a strong season and is linked to an improved contract, while Rayan Cherki is seen internally as a possible long-term successor to Kevin De Bruyne. Phil Foden could also face new terms.


On the outgoing side, Savinho has been linked with a permanent move to Tottenham, there appears to be movement around Jack Grealish and the future of Omar Marmoush is unclear. City's reinforcement plan is now mainly focused on midfield (with names such as Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali) and defense (including Vitor Reis and a long-term successor to John Stones).

All in all, United's intervention around Rashford seems more like a strategic buffer against sporting damage at home than a response to concrete interest from City or Liverpool. The European market, on the other hand, remains open: clubs outside England can still activate the £40 million clause.