Rashford return, Hojlund U-turn and Luis Enrique - Man United questions answered

CommentsSportTyrone Marshall Senior Manchester Football Writer12:06, 11 Mar 2026It's another week without a game for Manchester United, but that doesn't mean the Old Trafford news machine grinds to a halt. Michael Carrick is preparing his side for the visit of Aston Villa on Sunday and behind the scenes there is plenty going on.

The defeat at Newcastle was the first major blot on Carrick's record and it's put the search for a permanent head coach back at the front of the agenda, even if Carrick rightly remains the favourite to stay on.

The head coach did suggest last week that United need a left-winger and that will be one area of focus in a busy transfer window this summer. Central midfielders will also be a priority.

Transfers, United's loanees and who will be in the dugout next season all crop up in today's Q&A. We run weekly question and answer sessions, so click here to submit your questions, and we'll answer them next week. Here are the answers to some of this week's questions:

I think we need a good, experienced coach like Luis Enrique from Paris Saint-Germain. Could United get him?

Will United be approaching Luis Enrique to be the next manager?

Is Luis Enrique going to take over from Carrick at the end of the season?

One defeat and we get three questions about Luis Enrique; he's a popular name this week. For me, if United want someone other than Carrick, then Enrique should be top of that list.

How realistic that is remains to be seen. I'm sure United will be sounding him out and he's not had the easiest season at PSG, who are only one point clear of Lens in Ligue 1.

There was talk earlier this season that Enrique might be keen to move on at the end of this season, though the noises since then suggest a new deal is more likely. You do wonder what sort of challenges still exist for him in Paris, given he won the Champions League last season.

Enrique speaks excellent English and wants to work in the Premier League one day. But he also wants that to be with the right project, and whether United can convince him taking over at Old Trafford ticks that box is another question.

For now, Carrick remains favourite and I think that is about right, but there is plenty of time left this season and I wouldn't rule Enrique out just yet.

Do United have an option to retain Rasmus Hojlund? Now we have the supply of crosses that wasn't there during Rasmus's role for the team - he will score bucket loads. We need another striker to rotate with Sesko.

The short answer is no. If Napoli qualify for the Champions League - and they now have a five-point gap to fifth - then the deal will be made permanent for around £38million. That is the ideal scenario for United.

Napoli could potentially look to do what Chelsea did with Jadon Sancho and try and engineer a way out of the deal, but that is unlikely. He has 13 goals in 35 games this season, which is a solid return for someone still young and his game looks suited to Serie A.

I can see the point about wanting to see him in this system. I think every striker was doomed to fail in Amorim's system at Old Trafford. Hojlund and Benjamin Sesko struggled to play that role convincingly, and I don't think it did Chido Obi any favours either, but the chances of Hojlund getting another chance are very slim.

Is it true that Onana wants to come back to United and fight for his shirt? I think United should do everything possible to move him on.

Onana would certainly welcome another chance at United this summer. His loan to Trabzonspor didn't include an option to buy and it seems unlikely to be made permanent.

There could be a shake-up in the goalkeeping department at Old Trafford this summer. Altay Bayindir could move on and Tom Heaton could hang up his gloves, but that will leave a vacancy for a No.2 and maybe No.3 keeper. Onana is on too much money for those roles and is likely to want more playing time anyway.

It's difficult to see how he can challenge Senne Lammens. The Belgian has had an excellent first season at United. Onana has had his chances and he didn't take them. United will be desperate to find a buyer this summer.

Will Rashford come back to United?

He might well come back, but I don't see any scenario in which he will stay back. These are interesting times for Rashford and his hopes of staying at Barcelona.

The presidential election on Sunday is key to his future and if Joan Laporta wins, as expected, that makes it more likely that he stays. But his form has dropped away, and that makes taking the option to sign him for around £26million less clear-cut than it was at the turn of the year.

Barcelona could try to negotiate that fee, but at the moment, United are giving that idea short shrift. Their stance is that the option is paid as agreed, or Rashford returns to his parent club.

United have played down the idea that Carrick is keen to bring him back into the fold and his days at Old Trafford still look numbered. Right now, the question seems to be whether Barcelona commit to signing him, or he moves on elsewhere.