- Marcus Rashford could return to Manchester United
- FC Barcelona have option to buy in current loan deal
- Catalan giants have ‘cooled’ interest in keeping forward
There are not many footballers who have played for Manchester United 426 times over the course of their career.
Marcus Rashford is one of those, but being part of Ruben Amorim’s ‘bomb squad’ last summer seemed to signal the end of his Old Trafford career.
Many things have changed since the forward moved to sunny Spain, including a managerial change and United’s upturn in form. It is a much more pleasant club to be around, with the Reds flying high in third place. After Chelsea’s loss against Brighton & Hove Albion, Michael Carrick‘s side needs just five points to secure Champions League football next season.
Barcelona Cool Interest in Rashford
Rashford has enjoyed a relatively successful spell in the Catalan city under Hansi Flick. The Englishman has played in 43 games, scoring 12 goals and assisting 13 times. A return to the national team has also seen him feature for Thomas Tuchel’s side on three occasions.
However, his time in Barcelona could be coming to an end. According to The Athletic, the club’s interest in retaining the forward “has cooled”.
The club have identified priorities for this summer, which have included pursuing Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni. Signing the Italian would require a “significant sum”, which inadvertently affects the Blaugrana’s interest in keeping Rashford.
The report mentions that personal terms “would not be a problem”, as club officials are very happy with Rashford’s impact on the pitch and in the dressing room.
The key breaking point for the club was Raphinha’s latest injury. The 28-year-old has found it hard in 2026 to break the starting trio of Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez and Raphinha. However, he has found more gametime in recent weeks due to the Brazilian’s hamstring injury. Yet, he has not capitalised on the opportunity. This has led the unofficial word on Barca’s current stance on the option to buy being that “they don’t intend to trigger it”.
Barca Attempt to Drive Price Down
For a player who has played at the highest level for the entirety of his career, £26.1m is a bargain for Rashford. Yet, Barcelona’s financial constraints mean that they can’t freely spend on the forward as they would like to.
This seems to be a classic scenario of Barcelona sounding out a briefing that will prompt United to drive the price down. Previously, the Red Devils have made it clear that they do not intend to lower the price. His resurgence in La Liga and the Champions League means that the player’s value has increased since leaving Old Trafford.
The other option is for Rashford to revive his career in Manchester. As it stands, that seems a likely option only if Carrick is appointed as the permanent manager. The Reds are in desperate need of competition for Matheus Cunha, but Rashford is one of the club’s highest earners. Primarily, being a squad player won’t sit well with INEOS officials, who are still intent on driving wages down at the club.
The alternative option could be to sell Rashford to other interested parties for a higher price than £26.1m. Instead, a move for younger players such as Wolves’ Mateus Mane would make more sense.
Carrick’s future will have a direct impact on Rashford’s future. As the pair have worked together before, it could be the best solution for the Carrington academy graduate to stay at the Theatre of Dreams.
