Barcelona will not exercise their £26 million option to sign Marcus Rashford permanently from Manchester United this summer, according to reports. The England international has already removed any mention of the Catalan club from his Instagram bio.
Rashford, 28, will now return to United after the World Cup unless another club arranges a transfer before then. The option to sign him is said to expire on Monday, two days before England's opening World Cup game against Croatia.
The Spanish champions have instead completed a £60 million deal with Newcastle United for Anthony Gordon, effectively choosing the winger over Rashford. Marca reports that the relationship between Rashford and Barcelona is over, with the club saying goodbye to last season's loanee.
The outlet highlights that both players occupy the same position, with Raphinha set to start as striker. Gordon, three-and-a-half years younger, is seen as a better fit for Hansi Flick's pressing style, which was key to the decision.
Rashford had stated in October that he wanted to stay at Barcelona, calling it an honour to play for the club. He also discussed Barcelona with Gordon while on international duty, praising the team spirit and the city.
