Marcus Rashford race: Competitor for Man United forward drops out

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is expected to be on the move this summer, with the Red Devils hoping to turn the page. Several major European sides have been linked with Rashford, and Barcelona are one of them.

Barcelona have been looking to strengthen their forward line this summer, and have so far targeted Nico Williams and Luis Diaz. However Williams was unconvinced by Barcelona’s capacity to register him, and Diaz looks as if he might be beyond their capacity in terms of doing just that. Hence the Blaugrana now appear to be prioritising a move for the 27-year-old.

Unsurprisingly, Barcelona are not the only side interested in the England international. Aston Villa, where he spent the second half of last season on loan, made a play for him, but were turned down. Meanwhile Bayern Munich have also identified Rashford as an option, should their move for Diaz also collapse.

This week Fenerbahce were also linked with a move for Rashford, with the chance to reunite with former manager Jose Mourinho. Yet Marca explain that after considering the idea, Fenerbahce have decided against a move for him. His €18m annual salary is the key issue; Rashford has agreed to take a significant cut to join Barcelona, but it is not clear if that would  be the case in Turkiye.

Barcelona must first resolve their salary limit issues in order to be able to register Rashford, but the word from Catalonia is that the finances will not be an issue. The Catalan giants do seem more keen on a loan with an option to buy though, while United are pursuing a straight sale for Rashford. Time is on Barcelona’s side though, if indeed Rashford is holding out solely for a move to Barcelona.