Marcus Rashford could yet secure a permanent switch to Barcelona, with Raphinha potentially on his way out of the club. The Manchester United forward joined the Spanish side on loan last summer with a £26million option to buy included in the deal.
The 28-year-old netted 14 times during the campaign, but it proved insufficient for the Catalan club to trigger their purchase clause, which has since lapsed. Barcelona opted instead to bring in Rashford's England colleague Anthony Gordon in a £70m transfer from Newcastle.
Unless circumstances alter, Rashford would be heading back to Old Trafford for next season following the conclusion of his World Cup duties. However, he may have been handed a lifeline by a former colleague's potential departure from the Camp Nou.
According to GE Globo, Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Hilal are pursuing Brazilian winger Raphinha in what would be a financially significant move. The ex-Leeds player is said to be open to negotiations with the club, though would postpone any immediate discussions until after the World Cup.
Raphinha was previously the subject of Saudi Arabian interest in 2024 but was persuaded to remain at Barcelona. The club might be tempted to accept an offer this time around, given Al-Hilal would presumably table a substantial sum for the 29-year-old. Should Raphinha depart, that could potentially prompt Barcelona to reconsider their pursuit of Rashford, though they would need to enter into fresh negotiations with United over a transfer.
In the meantime, the United forward is set to hold talks with club chiefs about his future. Rashford remains adamant that his long-term future lies away from Old Trafford, despite the change in management. United are holding out for around £40m for a permanent sale and are unwilling to consider another loan arrangement. He has already been prevented from joining Manchester City or Liverpool, both of whom have previously shown interest, while Arsenal have also moved on.
Meanwhile, Raphinha hit back last month at speculation surrounding his future. Speaking to ESPN, he said: "Ever since I arrived at Barcelona, from day one there's been speculation that I'm going to leave this club. I think people don't really like seeing me here. Especially the press... there's one guy who just tells lies."
The (journalist) who wrote that article (about a possible departure) has also written other things about me that were lies, saying that I met with the club, that I spoke to people internally and said I was undecided, that I didn't know if I would continue or not (at Barcelona). That guy only tells lies, every time he posts some news he has to leave out some irrelevant things that come out of his mouth.
