Everton’s need for goals has brought Marcus Rashford into the picture. The club have opened early discussions with Manchester United about a possible January transfer, though neither the deal structure nor Rashford’s willingness to join another English side is clear. That leaves the story at the exploratory stage: interest is real, but the conditions for a move haven’t been established.
Everton sit among the Premier League’s top half but have scored fewer goals than any other team in that group. The gap between their league position and their scoring record points to a specific weakness, rather than a general failure to compete. Their striker options are thin after they failed to sign Folarin Balogun on Deadline Day, leaving Thierno Barry as their only recognised centre-forward.
David Moyes may see Rashford as a way to add threat across the front line and revive a career that has stalled at Old Trafford. Rashford’s ability to play from the left or operate closer to goal could offer more tactical choices than a conventional striker signing. But versatility only helps if the player fits the manager’s plans and can deliver consistently.
Rashford’s return has yet to pay off
The 28-year-old came back to Manchester United in the summer after a productive season at Barcelona, where he recorded 14 goals and 15 assists. Those figures suggest a player capable of making a meaningful contribution in several attacking roles. Since former teammate Michael Carrick helped bring him back into the first team, however, Rashford has started six matches across all competitions without a goal contribution.
That return followed a summer in which United expected to sell him. Barcelona were a possible destination, but Rashford didn’t find a project that appealed to him, while United held to a €30 million valuation. His substantial wages also made a deal difficult for interested clubs. Together, the fee and salary narrowed the field: a club might be interested in the footballing upside and still find the total cost hard to justify.
Some early optimism around his performances has faded. Rashford was previously pushed out of the squad by Ruben Amorim in late 2024, and his current form has done little to settle questions about his consistency. A short run without a goal contribution doesn’t define a player, but it does make any prospective buyer weigh recent output against the promise of his Barcelona season.
Deal terms and Rashford’s preference matter
Everton’s talks are at an early stage, and a January move is far from certain. The club could pursue a permanent transfer or explore a loan with a permanent option; the financial package and Rashford’s position will shape what is possible. A loan could reduce the immediate commitment, but it would still require agreement on wages and on what happens at the end of the arrangement.
Rashford was reluctant to consider another English club during the summer. That preference matters because Everton’s need and United’s willingness to discuss a transfer don’t settle the player’s side of the decision. If you’re working in this space, the key question is less whether Everton can use him and more whether the proposed role and terms would persuade him to join.
Rashford has generally preferred playing on the left, though he has said he is becoming more comfortable as a centre-forward. “For me, playing as a number nine is becoming more comfortable, more natural,” he told xBuyer in June 2025. “Small things, such as playing back to goal, it’s becoming easier for me. You’re always in front of the goal, so you’re always dangerous.” That comment gives Everton a reason to consider him centrally, but it doesn’t establish how he would perform there over a season or whether Moyes sees him in that role.
What a move would mean for Everton
This is more significant than it looks. Everton’s interest reflects the pressure created when a team has a clear scoring shortfall and a limited pool of centre-forwards. Rashford could address more than one position, and his recent Barcelona output offers a persuasive case for taking that possibility seriously. And yet, a high-profile name doesn’t remove the basic questions of cost, role and form.
United are expected to part ways with Rashford by 2027, and January could bring an earlier exit. Everton are trying to make that happen, but the talks have yet to establish whether Rashford would accept the move or what kind of transfer the clubs could afford. That uncertainty is the story for now. A proposal on paper, still.
Moyes will likely hope Rashford can regain the form he showed at Barcelona, much as he helped Jack Grealish last season. That comparison points to the appeal of a reset under a manager who has helped an established attacker find form, though Rashford’s circumstances and role may differ. For now, Everton’s interest is a live possibility rather than an agreed move.