Barcelona’s pursuit of Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford hinges on their ability to offload Ansu Fati in the upcoming transfer window.
Rashford was reportedly a target for Barcelona in January when his departure from Manchester United seemed likely. However, the Catalan club deemed the financial terms of a loan deal too prohibitive, leading to Rashford’s temporary move to Aston Villa. His current contract with Unai Emery’s side includes a £40 million option for a permanent transfer.
While Aston Villa have yet to decide on exercising this option, there are suggestions that Rashford might decline a permanent stay at Villa Park in favor of securing a transfer to Barcelona. Earlier this month, it was revealed that Rashford has enlisted the services of agent Pini Zahavi, who has a close relationship with Barcelona president Joan Laporta, to facilitate a potential deal.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona are closely monitoring Rashford’s situation. They believe he could become available again if Aston Villa fail to qualify for the Champions League and subsequently decide against making his move permanent.
New Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, also represented by Zahavi, is reportedly a keen admirer of Rashford, a sentiment shared by the club’s sporting director Deco. Both appreciate the 27-year-old’s desire to join Barcelona and the tactical flexibility he could bring to their attacking options.
These qualities initially sparked Barcelona’s interest in January, but their limited financial capacity prevented a move as they were unable to persuade Ansu Fati to leave the club.
Fati, who has had limited playing time this season, was determined to fight for his place in January, much to Barcelona’s frustration as they sought to remove his significant weekly wages, reportedly around £200,000.
However, Fati is now believed to be more open to a summer exit, recognizing his low position in the pecking order under Flick. If Barcelona can find a buyer for Fati, they will be in a position to pursue a deal for Rashford.
While Rashford’s current wages at Manchester United, thought to be over £325,000 per week, are beyond Barcelona’s current means, multiple reports indicate that he is willing to accept a substantial pay cut to facilitate a move to Spain.
Although negotiations with Rashford might not be a major hurdle, the primary obstacle for Barcelona could be reaching an agreement with Manchester United. The English club reportedly prefers a permanent sale and could demand as much as £60 million if Aston Villa does not take up their option to buy.