Liverpool urged to agree first transfer deal with Manchester United in 62 years

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SportFootballLiverpool FCLiverpool are in the market for a winger this summer and Marcus Rashford is available, but here's why a deal is practically impossible.01:00, 17 Jun 2026Updated 07:47, 17 Jun 2026Liverpool should put historic rivalry to one side and go and sign Marcus Rashford from Manchester United this summer, according to ex-Kop star David James.Rashford, 28, spent last season on loan with Barcelona, where he finished the campaign as a LaLiga champion with eight league goals to his name, but his hopes of staying at the Camp Nou appear dashed after the Catalan club passed up on the option to trigger a £26m buy-option, which expired on June 15.United, who are keen to get their academy graduate off the books, must now decide how to proceed, with the player himself understood to still be keen to return to Barcelona if some sort of deal can be done.But former Liverpool goalkeeper James believes that Rashford could be just what his old club needs following the departure of Mohamed Salah.Speaking to BetVictor, James, 55, said: "If I were Liverpool, I'd look to sign Marcus Rashford. Whether he plays on the left or the right isn't the main issue.

Get him in first, and then you give it time to work out his best position.“I think he's an outstanding footballer. His football intelligence is off the scale, and so is his ability.“We saw at Barcelona that when you get Marcus Rashford in a happy place, he's capable of playing incredible football.

I can't imagine Liverpool will actually sign him, but football rivalries shouldn't stop clubs from pursuing the best players.“Someone like Andoni Iraola is good enough to create an environment where Rashford could thrive.”James' idea is sure to raise a few eyebrows from partisan Liverpool fans, but there are a couple of reason why a move for Rashford is almost impossible.The first is a clause in Rashford's United contract that states that the Red Devils will listen to offers from any club that triggers a £40m transfer bid, except for Liverpool and Manchester City.The second is the historic unspoken agreement between United and Liverpool that hasn't seen one player transfer directly from one club to the other for over 60 years.The last player to make the switch was Phil Chisnall, who moved from Manchester to Merseyside in April 1964 for a £25,000 transfer fee - a deal that was agreed between Sir Matt Busby and Bill Shankly.Taking both factors into account, it doesn't seem likely that Rashford will become a Liverpool player anytime soon.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook pageChoose Liverpool Echo as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.Liverpool FCManchester United FC