‘Man United to take major hit to £40m Marcus Rashford fee’
Man United are set to take a major financial hit if they sell Marcus Rashford this summer despite dream destination Barcelona being in the picture.
Having lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham on Wednesday evening (21 May), the Red Devils will have to contend with doing their summer transfer business without the benefit of the extra revenue guaranteed from Champions League qualification.
Pete O’Rourke revealed to Football Insider exclusively that Man United are in “very advanced” talks for Wolves star Matheus Cunha.
However, for as good as the Brazilian is, Ruben Amorim‘s squad requires a serious overhaul this summer, with Red Devils already guaranteed their worst ever Premier League finish.
Rashford is one of several first-team stars who could depart to bolster United’s transfer budget, but as reported by MailOnline, the club may have to take a serious hit in order to do so.
Man United forced to take hit on Marcus Rashford’s wages
Barcelona’s sporting director Deco has revealed that the Catalonian club are interested in giving Rashford his dream move to the Nou Camp.
This comes after the fallout with Amorim that forced Rashford to depart Old Trafford in January in a loan move to Aston Villa.
However, the Red Devils are expected to get £40million for the deal, whether he returns to Villa Park permanent or heads elsewhere, but according to The Mail this will be minus a payoff the 27-year-old is likely to be due on his £375,000-a-week contract.
This may be significant as Rashford signed a new contract in 2023 off the back of a strong 2022/23 season in which he scored 30 goals in all competitions, and it is set to expire in 2028.
Marcus Rashford should look to complete move to Aston Villa over Barcelona
Football Insider Verdict
There are several things that Rashford is likely considering before he commits to making a decision on where his future lies this summer.
Firstly, at 27 years old, this is likely the only chance the United loanee will have to make the move to a team like Barcelona.
But whilst the allure of moving to the Catalan giants is hard to ignore, it seems like a risky decision to make, given the World Cup is just a year away.
Having just become involved in the England set-up again under Thomas Tuchel (although Rashford has missed out on the most recent squad due to injury), a poor year in Spain could spell the end of the forward’s chances of ever competing at a World Cup again for the Three Lions.
The smart decision may instead be for Rashford to push through a move to stay at Villa permanently, where he has been a regular feature during his loan spell, giving him the best opportunity to feature in North America in 2026.