Manchester United have a clear stance on Marcus Rashford that is unlikely to change regardless of his form at Barcelona.
After falling out of favour under Ruben Amorim last season, Marcus Rashford was sent on loan to Aston Villa in January to resurrect his career.
A short stint at Villa Park helped secure a follow-up loan to Barcelona, which was a dream come true for Rashford. The England forward has been working hard to impress Hansi Flick and his coaching staff, in an effort to convince Barcelona to make his deal a permanent one next summer.
Rashford admitted he wants to stay at Barcelona ahead of his first El Clásico following reports the La Liga champions will push for a cut-price deal.
Barcelona have the option to sign Rashford at the end of the season, which could result in United getting as little as £26 million for his signature. This led to speculation that Sir Jim Ratcliffe would demand a fee closer to £35 million.
It seems like a likely deal at this point, but Rashford will need to continue recording goal contributions. The United loanee currently has five goals and six assists since joining Barcelona on loan.
Man Utd stance on Marcus Rashford transfer
With Rashford deemed unlikely to have a future at United, especially under Amorim, Ineos will be hopeful that selling him to Barcelona is a straightforward process in the summer.
United will be keen to get Rashford off the wage books, but he must also reach an agreement with Barcelona, so long as they’re willing to offer him a contract.
On the latest episode of Back Pages, produced by Sky Sports News, Henry Winter and Jason Burt discuss Rashford’s future and the likelihood of a permanent switch to the Catalan side.
Henry believes a £26m fee presents a bargain for Barcelona, but stresses that United are unlikely to create any issues as they want Rashford out because he doesn’t fit into the head coach’s preferred system.
“As Jason says, the fee may be just £26m. That just seems an absolute bargain for Barcelona,” Winter said.
“Does it seem like bad business from Manchester United’s perspective? No, because Manchester United want him out. So I don’t think there’s any particular sort of issue. He doesn’t fit in with the way Ruben Amorim wants to play in that 3-4-3 system.
“I think maybe it’s wages. There were too many issues. And I think he needed to leave. I think he also needed to leave the country, as Jason says, [to] experience another culture. And just enjoy playing again. I mean, the plan at Barcelona and the Hansi Flick has been a long-term admirer of Rashford, was to him to sort of slightly ease him in.”
Marcus Rashford rivals Erling Haaland for open-play goals
Rashford is enjoying life at Barcelona to the point that he is competing with Erling Haaland for open-play goals this season.
Most of Rashford’s five goals for Barcelona came in the Champions League (four), but he will be aiming to add to his tally when they take on Real Madrid on Sunday.
According to ESPN, Haaland and Rashford are joint top for the most open-play goals this season (4).
None of this will change United’s stance on Rashford because his future at the club appears as good as over.
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