Fresh doubts have emerged about Marcus Rashford's future at Barcelona, with reports suggesting that former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is planning to bring the England international to Real Madrid. The Manchester United academy product is currently on loan at Barcelona, where he has scored 14 goals and provided 14 assists in all competitions this season, helping the Catalan club win La Liga and the Spanish Supercopa.
Barcelona's Hesitation on Buy Option
Barcelona have a £26 million purchase option included in the loan agreement with Manchester United, which must be activated by June 15th. However, Spanish media reports indicate that the La Liga champions are reluctant to pay the agreed sum and may seek to renegotiate the terms. This has opened the door for other clubs, with Real Madrid reportedly showing interest.
Mourinho's Plan to Unsettle Barcelona
According to Sport, Mourinho's appointment at Real Madrid is described as an 'open secret', and he views Rashford as a valuable addition to his squad. The Portuguese manager, who coached Rashford at Manchester United between 2016 and 2018, is said to want a substantial and competitive squad with two players for every position. It is suggested that he would attempt to 'unsettle' Barcelona by securing Rashford's signature.
Rashford missed training on Saturday due to what Sport describes as 'some discomfort', and he was not risked in Barcelona's clash against Real Betis, with the World Cup approaching. He is expected to feature in the next match away at Valencia, which could be his final appearance for Barcelona.
United's Stance and Flick's Comments
Manchester United have no intention of bringing Rashford back into their first-team fold, leaving his future uncertain. Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has spoken positively about his experience working with Rashford but declined to comment on his long-term future at the Camp Nou. Flick said: 'I'm very happy with Marcus. He has shown his quality and he scored an important goal. I can't say anything about his future, we have to focus on the matches until the end of the season.'
Rashford himself has expressed happiness at Barcelona, stating after winning La Liga: 'I come here to win. This is one more to add to this. This team is a wonderful team. They're going to win so much in the future as well. So, to be a part of that would be special. So we will see.'
