‘Man United make key concession as Marcus Rashford’s Barcelona exit at final stages’
Man United look to have admitted defeat on an important aspect of Marcus Rashford’s exit as the Red Devils outcast closes in on a move to Barcelona.
Rashford’s Man United career has reached a low point in recent months, after a fallout with boss Ruben Amorim meant he departed the club for the first time in his career to join Aston Villa on loan in January.
He impressed in his short stint at Villa Park with four goals and six assists in 17 appearances in all competitions, and was soon linked abroad with Barcelona leading the chase for Rashford’s signature in June.
Former United scout Mick Brown told Football Insider on 7 July that Rashford looks increasingly likely to move to Barcelona on loan this summer, with the forward preferring said switch over any other.
The Catalan giants recently made the Red Devils outcast their main transfer target amid similar interest from Juventus, and now he looks to be on his way to Spain due to a compromise that has been reached with Barca.
Man United agree Rashford loan deal despite sale desire
The England international’s move to Barcelona has been highly anticipated over the last few months, with rumours being fuelled by Rashford interacting with Lamine Yamal on social media.
The Athletic (19 July) have now reported that La Liga’s champions are advancing with a move to sign Rashford after submitting an initial loan with an option to buy offer to United.
They state that the Red Devils have primarily agreed to the offer, and although a deal is not yet sealed, talks between all parties are now at the final stages.
Football Insider revealed last month that United were keen to sell Rashford for £40million, and wanted to cash in on him rather than sanction a loan, even though that option was not ruled out.
These new developments prove that they have been unable to attract the right permanent suitors for the 27-year-old, however, and so have had to concede defeat and agree a temporary deal for him to move to Spain.
It always seemed unlikely that Rashford would leave Old Trafford permanently this summer after Villa turned down the chance to sign him for £40m, and so loaning him out is clearly the necessary step to take, but still not ideal for United right now, as he clearly has no future at the club.
Barcelona move suits Rashford right now
The last few years of Rashford’s career have certainly not gone to plan, but his spell at Villa saw him back playing near his best at times in a much more settled and less pressure-driven environment compared to that of United.
Rashford was given extra time away from the Red Devils’ Carrington base prior to pre-season, then told to train away from the first-team players while he looks to depart, so there is obviously no future for him at the club as long as Amorim is in charge.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 426 | 138 | 77 |
The 27-year-old is believed to favour a move to a team that is competing for titles, so Barca would be a seemingly perfect fit, and he needs a stellar season to thrust himself back into Thomas Tuchel’s England plans ahead of next year’s World Cup.
He would also undoubtedly benefit from a change of scenery and culture, and the chance to compete for the top prizes alongside the best players is also something that he has not had in a long time, if ever, at Old Trafford, so it is no wonder that he has pining for the move all summer.