Manchester United have been handed an unexpected boost regarding Marcus Rashford, with Barcelona reportedly unlikely to sign the player permanently.
Last summer, Manchester United secured the high-profile signings of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško in a bid to add the cutting edge that was lacking in a difficult campaign that ended with a disappointing 15th-place Premier League finish.
Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford spent the second half of the season on loan at Aston Villa, where he recovered valuable minutes across both the Premier League and Champions League.
He caught the eye with several strong performances, most notably in the home fixture against Paris Saint-Germain, despite the ultimate loss.
The forward then completed a loan move to Barcelona with a £26 million option to buy, and has made an immediate impact with six goals and nine assists in 18 appearances.
Barcelona unlikely to sign Rashford permanently
There has been a lot of debate within Barcelona circles surrounding the possible need for a complete revamp of their ageing front line. Rashford and Raphinha are 28, while first-choice striker Robert Lewandowski is 37.
Despite reports from England two weeks ago claiming that Barcelona intended to make his move permenant, it has now been stated by The Athletic that this may not be the case.
The report claims that the current ‘most likely scenario’ is that Rashford will depart the Catalan giants once his loan spell is concluded, with Barcelona on the lookout for possible replacements.
This would mean that, as of 1 July next year, the England international will return to Carrington, although it’s currently unlikely that he’ll be reintegrated into Amorim’s first-team squad.
United could earn £43.7m from Barcelona decision
While it may look like Rashford’s possible return presents a problem for United, who had hoped the Catalan giants would activate the fee and see Rashford gone from the Old Trafford wage books, it could present an opertinuty.
PSG are known toh ave been long-temr admiroers of the winger and came close to signing him in 2022, and with Rashford psosibly on the markey next summer, this has piqued their interest.
It’s been reported that amid monitoring Rashford’s developing siaution, the French giants have earmarked £43.7 million aside for a possible move for the 28-year-old in the summer should he become availble.
With two years left on his current United contract as of next summer, the Manchester club can still hold a fair amount of value, especially if his form in La Liga continues, which would lead to a trnasfer fee significantly higher than the £26 million option Barcelona have.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 14:00 pm (GMT) on the United View YouTube channel.