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, signalling the end of his loan spell.
The option is understood to expire on Monday, two days before England's World Cup opener against Croatia. Rashford will now return to United after the tournament unless a transfer can be arranged with another club.
The Spanish champions have effectively chosen Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon over Rashford, completing a £60m deal for the winger 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.
Financial and tactical factors influenced the decision. Both players would cost similar annual wages, but Gordon is three-and-a-half years younger and presses better, fitting head coach Hansi Flick's requirements. Doubts reportedly began to rise within the club's sporting directorate, including Deco and Flick, with the head coach's opinion key.
Rashford had previously expressed his desire to stay at Barcelona, telling ESPN in October: "Oh yeah, for sure. I'm enjoying this football club, and I think for anybody who loves football, Barcelona is one of the key clubs in the history of the game. For a player, it is an honour." He also spoke to Gordon about life at Barcelona while in England's camp, with Gordon praising his advice.
