Revealed: ‘The bold call Michael Carrick will make’ on ex team-mate Marcus Rashford’s future if he lands full-time Man United job

Michael Carrick is reportedly eager to keep Marcus Rashford at Manchester United.

Rashford is thriving on loan at Barcelona and scored a stunning free-kick in the Champions League against Copenhagen on Wednesday to take his season’s tally to nine goals and 12 assists. 

The England forward is happy in Spain and all the signs point to Barca being eager to activate his £26million buy clause in the summer if it is financially feasible. 

But Carrick wants to keep him at Old Trafford, where he is contracted until 2028, if he gets the permanent job, according to The Telegraph. 

Rashford and Carrick were team-mates for United back in 2016, when Louis van Gaal handed the former his debut.

With Barcelona top of LaLiga and in the last 16 of the Champions League, Rashford has the chance to write history with them this season and it is hard to see him wanting to leave. 

The Man United boss is an admirer of Rashford, but the forward is happy in Barcelona

All the signs point to Barcelona and Hansi Flick wanting to activate his £26million buy clause

In October, asked by ESPN if he wanted to join permanently, he said: ‘Oh yeah, for sure.

‘I’m enjoying this football club and I think for anybody who loves football, Barcelona is one of the key clubs in the history of the game. For a player it is an honour.’

He has apparently bonded well with Lamine Yamal, who he expressed excitement over the prospect of playing with before he joined. 

‘I knew he was good before I played with him. But to play with him everyday is unbelievable,’ he told ESPN in October. 

‘Relationships on the pitch, the ones I am still learning, are very important. When it comes to the matchday, these are things which make small differences.’

Initially greeted with a stay at the five-star Gran Melia Torre Melina, where a President one-bed suite can cost up to £3,233 per night, Rashford has since put down roots in the city after moving into an apartment in the upmarket district of Esplugues de Llobregat.

Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Colleserola mountains, the commune on the outskirts of the city has played host to scores of Barcelona icons, including Gerard Pique and Andre Iniesta.

The plush surroundings allow for time spent pursuing new hobbies when Rashford takes time off from training, including padel and fishing, and indulging in delicious Mediterranean cuisine local to region such as Spanish jamon and fresh seafood.

‘I’d probably say paella is my favourite,’ he added in his BBC interview.

Rashford has been looking like a man reborn since his loan move to Barcelona

The Manchester United star has rediscovered fine form on the pitch in his new Catalan home

After first staying at a luxurious Gran Melia hotel Rashford has now put down roots in Catalonia

The 28-year-old has also been enjoying Mediterranean food and the opportunity to fish 

Rashford claimed his first winners’ medal with Barca after winning the Spanish Super Cup

Rashford has also been able to relocate his dog, a Cane Corso called Saint, and has shared pictures of friends and family staying at his new pad, deepening the feeling of homeliness he appears to have established in Catalonia.

‘It’s been amazing,’ Rashford said of his move in December in an interview with the BBC. ‘I feel welcome, I feel at home. I’ve just been enjoying every step of the way.’

‘Learning the language and stuff like that, learning the culture, it’s all enjoyable for me,’ he continued. ‘It’s something I wanted to do for a long time and this is the perfect opportunity.

‘I’m understanding more now, and the speaking side of it, it’s more just confidence to do it in front of a group.’

Manager Hansi Flick would like Rashford to stay. He has spoken about his mentality being at the ‘best level’ and also said recently: ‘Speed, finishing, control. He has amazing quality, really.’

While Ruben Amorim, who ostracised Rashford, has gone, United and Carrick may face an uphill battle in persuading Rashford to return.