Manchester United are poised to restart talks with Barcelona over Marcus Rashford as soon as next week, with the Spanish giants eager to arrange another loan switch. The 28-year-old forward has made 48 appearances for Barcelona this season, scoring 14 goals and providing 14 assists, including a stunning free-kick in the 2-0 victory over Real Madrid that secured La Liga title.
Rashford has expressed a desire to remain at Barcelona, stating after the title-clinching match: 'I'm not a magician, but if I was, I would stay. We will see. I came here to win.' However, Barcelona have stalled on activating a permanent clause in his loan deal and, due to financial constraints, are expected to renegotiate terms.
According to reports, a further loan is considered a possibility by Barcelona, but Manchester United are adamant they do not want to sanction another temporary move. The club is keen to remove Rashford's significant wages from their books and expects Barcelona to pay the agreed £26m transfer fee or lose the forward.
Barcelona are actively searching for a new left winger, with club director Deco and manager Hansi Flick reportedly not fully convinced on Rashford. Flick has, however, praised Rashford's contributions, saying: 'I appreciate Rashford very much. I think his season was fantastic.'
A return to Old Trafford is not being considered, as Rashford has not played for Manchester United since December 2024. His former manager Ruben Amorim gave his number 10 shirt to Matheus Cunha. Rashford spent last season on loan at Aston Villa before his Barcelona move.
United are optimistic they could command a fee of around £50m for the academy product, particularly if Rashford impresses at the World Cup under England manager Thomas Tuchel. For now, all eyes are on next week's talks.
