Marcus Rashford suffers blow to dream Barcelona transfer as Catalan giants make decision

Marcus Rashford is looking for a way out of Manchester United this summer and Barcelona has become a possible destination – though the La Liga side don’t want to sign him permanently and will only sanction a loan

Manchester United have been handed a setback in their bid to offload Marcus Rashford this summer, with Barcelona telling the Red Devils they don’t want to pay for the winger, according to reports. Rashford is one of several United players who are likely to leave the club in the upcoming transfer window after a successful loan spell at Aston Villa.

Rashford netted four goals and assisted five during his stint under Unai Emery but it is unclear whether Villa will activate their £40million option to buy him permanently.

Villa’s failure to qualify for the Champions League means it is unlikely they will try to sign him, with the player eager to play in Europe’s top competition.

Rashford enjoyed two Champions League ties against Club Brugge and eventual winners PSG before the team were dumped out in the quarter-finals.

Barcelona have since moved ahead of Villa as the most likely destination for Rashford, but according to German outlet Bild, the club do not want to pay the £40m fee.

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It claims that Rashford is eager to move to the Nou Camp after falling out with Ruben Amorim and manager Hansi Flick is interested in making the deal happen.

But it adds that Barcelona don’t want to sign him on a permanent transfer and are only keen on a loan move.

It comes as a significant blow to Manchester United, who are in a difficult financial position and need to make money from outgoings if they are to spend this summer.

Rashford joins the likes of Antony, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee who have been linked with an exit. Christian Eriksen, Jonny Evans and Viktor Lindelof have already left on free transfers.

But Barcelona’s own financial struggles have been made clear too and they have previously had difficulties registering players. Last season they had a dispute with La Liga over the registration of Dani Olmo.

It is claimed United would give the thumbs up to loaning Rashford out one more time, but they would require Barcelona to cover his £325,000-a-week salary while also paying a loan fee of between £5m and £10m on top.

The Red Devils would also want an obligation for Barcelona to buy Rashford in the summer of 2026 – though the club have also been linked with moves for Liverpol’s Luis Diaz and Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli, who they could turn to instead.

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