Manchester United and Barcelona are approaching a crossroads in their transfer talks over Marcus Rashford.
Ruben Amorim is keen to offload Rashford – alongside fellow returning loanees Jadon Sancho and Antony – but an exit package has proved difficult to settle on.
Rashford impressed in six months on loan at Premier League rivals Aston Villa at the back end of the 2024/25 season but Unai Emery opted against retaining him permanently.
There was no formal clause in his agreement at Villa Park – with United setting a firm asking price of £40m [$55m] – and without the cushion of UEFA Champions League qualification, Villa walked away.
As Amorim prepares to return preseason training in the coming weeks, he wants the Rashford issue resolved, to have a clearer squad picture for the 2025/26 campaign.
Barcelona have openly admitted the England international is on their radar, but he’s not viewed as a priority by Hansi Flick and Deco.
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Nico Williams is their No.1 objective, with multiple sources indicating a deal is almost done with the 22-year-old, alongside a lingering interest in Liverpool forward Luis Diaz.
As per an update from The Guardian, Barcelona have now reached out to United over a possible deal, but with a key demand that will force a quick decision.
Activating Williams’ £50m [$62m] exit clause in Bilbao will use up the majority of Flick’s summer budget and impact how much he can pay for Rashford.
The report indicates Barcelona have no intention of making a transfer offer at this stage, with Rashford viewed as a flexible option to cover across the Catalans attack, so they will only make a season-long loan bid.
That is not what United want – and despite their determination to offload Rashford permanently – Barcelona have the power in the negotiations, due to Amorim’s eagerness to get rid of the 27-year-old.
It’s unclear if Barcelona will accept a clause being added to a loan and any addition of one will impact how much of Rashford’s rumoured £370,000 [$504,000]-per week salary they are willing to cover.
