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.
The Spanish champions have instead opted for Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon, completing a £60m deal late last month. Marca reports that the relationship between Rashford and Barcelona is over, with the club saying goodbye to the loanee as he will not be there next season.
Rashford, 28, will now return to United after this summer's World Cup unless another club secures a transfer beforehand. The option to sign him is said to expire on Monday, two days before England's opening Group L match against Croatia.
Gordon's signing proved decisive, as both players occupy similar positions and would command similar wages. However, Gordon is three-and-a-half years younger and presses better, fitting head coach Hansi Flick's preferences. Rashford had earlier told ESPN he wanted to stay at Barcelona, calling it an honour to play for the club.
