Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford to facilitate Barcelona move

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is set to be on the move for a second time in 2025 this summer, and is keen on sunnier climes. Rashford is not going to remain at Old Trafford for next season if any of the parties can help it, although there is no obvious option for him at the time of writing.

Rashford was heavily linked with a move to Catalonia in the January transfer window, supposedly holding out until the final days of the winter window in order to try and force through a move to Barcelona. Instead he ended up joining Aston Villa on loan until the end of the season, and there he has somewhat recovered his form, with four goals and six assists in 17 games under Unai Emery.

As per The Mirror, via Caught Offside, Villa have a €47m buy option on Rashford for this summer, but the England international is not keen on a permanent move to Villa Park. Rashford would prefer a move abroad, despite interest from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and others in England, and Barcelona is his preference.

Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and AC Milan have enquired about his situation, say Sport, while Rashford has ruled out a switch to Saudi Arabia. He has now communicated to barcelona that he would be willing to take a wage cut in order to join the Catalan giants. Although it is far from what Rashford and United are hoping for, they could consider a loan deal with the Red Devils paying some of his wages.

Earning €411k per week for United, this is the exact sort of salary that Barcelona have been trying to rid themselves of in recent years, and it seems unlikely that they would consider spending big on Rashford with no clear starting spot in the side for him. If they can do a deal on terms that work for them, Director of Football Deco may see it as a way of adding depth to an attack with an ageing Robert Lewandowski and a likely departing Ansu Fati.