Another bomb squad on the horizon as United duo INEOS are desperate to sell “ready to return” for pre-season – report

It could be déjà vu for Manchester United amid their struggle to sell two high-earning stars ahead of pre-season. It has been well documented that Barcelona have been been employing various tactics to avoid triggering Marcus Rashford’s £26m buy option despite his impressive loan spell. From suggesting another loan, to requesting to pay in instalments, and now preparing to pay only half of the above amount, it is clear that the Catalans are trying to lowball the Red Devils. They have already signed Anthony Gordon from Newcastle, and are closing in on deals for Bernardo Silva and Julian Alvarez, trying to push United into accepting a cut-price fee. Uncertainty surrounding the future of Rashford INEOS have stood firm and are even prepared to sell to other suitors, hoping to earn a higher fee. However, they would prefer not to strengthen a direct Premier League rival, amid interest from Arsenal, Chelsea, and even Newcastle. The 20-time English league champions will be hoping for the likes of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid to come calling soon. As for Andre Onana, Trabzonspor are keen to agree a loan deal for the Cameroonian, but INEOS will only accept if his wages are paid in full. No permanent resolution in sight for Onana Once again, they would prefer to sell the goalkeeper, amid interest from Besiktas, but his wages could prove to be a problem. Barcelona have until June 15 to trigger the option, after which the forward will need to report back to Carrington. Onana’s deal is valid until June 30. According to The Daily Mail, both players are ready to return to Manchester to report for pre-season, a scenario United are keen to avoid. Last summer, Ruben Amorim had created a bomb squad full of exiled stars, with the whole arrangement creating unwanted headlines and distracting the players ahead of the start of the new campaign. United would prefer to avoid the same scenario as last summer “If United cannot find Rashford a new club before he is due to start pre-season training after the World Cup, then he will return to Carrington. Last summer, the player was part of a ‘bomb squad’ that also included Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia, although it’s unclear how United would handle the situation again. “It would appear to be in the best interests of both parties to avoid that scenario even though, ironically, United are in the market for a left winger. “Goalkeeper Andre Onana finds himself in a similar position after a season on loan at Trabzonspor which ended with him helping the club to win the Turkish Cup. “Onana has no future at United after being replaced by Senne Lammens, who was voted as the Premier League’s signing of the season on Monday, but is ready to return for pre-season next month if his future is unresolved.” After a third-place Premier League finish, spirits are high in the United camp, and Michael Carrick will be eager to avoid negative headlines. Hopefully, INEOS can address this before it becomes yet another unwanted saga. Feature image Michael Regan via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25