Man Utd make big Marcus Rashford sacrifice as Barcelona ‘make contact’ on cut-price deal

With Sir Jim Ratcliffe allegedly agreeing to accept a lower sum and with the LaLiga giants also coming to light about how they can fund the deal, Barcelona has thundered solidly into the battle to recruit Marcus Rashford. The Manchester United player, who is wanting to leave the club, now appears to be in a good position to clinch his dream move.

The England attacker, who is 27 years old, has been the subject of headlines ever since Ruben Amorim chose not to include him in the matchday squad for their derby-day victory against Manchester City a month ago. Further, he was not included in the matchday squad for four games after that. Just a few days after that initial exclusion, Rashford had been open about his desire to leave Manchester United and attempt something different. This revelation sparked something of a high-profile rush to capture his services.

Nevertheless, the process of finding a new club for the England international who has been capped sixty times was riddled with obstacles. To begin, the value of the player by United, which is supposedly set at a minimum of £50 million (€59.5 million, $61 million), and the player’s financial demands, which include the fact that he is currently committed to a contract that runs until 2028 and is believed to be worth £325,000 per week, provide some significant obstacles for any potential suitors of the player.

Despite this, Rashford’s brother and agent, Dwaine Maynard, has been in Italy this week to discuss a potential deal with both AC Milan and Juventus. The Daily Telegraph reported that United would be willing to accept a possible loan exit if it came with an obligation to buy, and suitors also asked to cover fifty percent of his salary. Maynard has been in Italy to discuss the possibility of a deal with both of these clubs.

Among the two, a transfer to Milan has appeared to be the more likely option; however, Milan has not yet made a proposal to United, and there are still some uncertainties over how they may integrate him in their squad, given that Rafael Leao is a permanent fixture in their squad.

However, only a few days after the player made his desire to depart known, insiders disclosed to TEAMtalk that the player’s preference was always to transfer to Spain, with Barcelona being considered his ideal destination.

A transfer to Catalonia, on the other hand, has always appeared to be challenging due to the well-known financial problems that Barcelona is experiencing. But now, according to Givemesport, the Spanish giants are ready to push the button on his signing. Contact has been made on a prospective deal, and there are suggestions that United’s minority shareholder, Ratcliffe, has cut his asking price to £35 million (€41.7 million, $42.7 million).

In light of Manchester United’s attitude, how can Barcelona afford to fund the Rashford deal?

From the perspective of Manchester United, the sentiment at Old Trafford is that they just want the player to leave. They appear to have grown weary of his claimed bad approach, and this comes in the midst of what has been characterised as an issue that has persisted for three years with many United managers.

Due to the fact that the player is no longer seen to be compatible with Ratcliffe’s cultural rebranding efforts at the Red Devils, sources have disclosed that they have made it abundantly plain that they would not obstruct his path in the event that a good offer is made for his services.

His arrangement, which was agreed upon in July 2023 and pays him £325,000 per week, is now considered to be troublesome. And with United having to keep a close watch on their expenditures as they look to stay on the right side of the Premier League’s strict Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), a number of their high earners have come under the microscope ever since the British billionaire finalised his £1.3 billion investment into the club almost a year ago. This is because United is trying to stay on the right side of the PSR.

In point of fact, having released Raphael Varane and Antony Martial at the conclusion of their respective contracts, Ratcliffe has since shifted his attention to four additional players who are among the highest earners at the club. Casemiro and Antony have both been given permission to leave this month, and Christian Eriksen is likely to leave as a free agent at the conclusion of the current season. In addition to the departures of Martial and Varane, permanent departures of the four players who are still on United’s roster may save the club an astounding £1.625 million each week, which is equivalent to £84.5 million (€100.6 million, $103.2 million) every week.

There is still a question mark regarding how Barcelona could finance such a move, especially considering that the LaLiga giants have recently been facing a battle to register both Dani Olmo and Pau Victor for the second half of the season. United has made it clear that they want Rashford to leave, and there have been claims that their asking price has decreased.

However, it has been stated that Barcelona is considering how to balance their budget and hopes to alleviate some of the pressure they are under as a result of the high-profile departure of defender Ronald Araujo. Arsenal and Juventus are both interested in Araujo, who is from Uruguay.

In addition, the fact that Barcelona has agreed to take Rashford on loan with an option to purchase him in the summer has given rise to hope over the possibility that they would be successful with their ambitious strategy.

There is still room for Rashford to make a decision; a new left-back player is on the way.

Nevertheless, in the event that Barcelona is unable to obtain his signature, the player now has a number of options available to him to leave Old Trafford.

In addition, a transfer inside the Premier League is not completely out of the question, as it has been claimed that both Arsenal and Tottenham have expressed interest in the player in recent days, while West Ham has also been mentioned as a potential alternative.

Additionally, sources have informed TEAMtalk that despite the fact that Rashford has categorically rejected the possibility of a transfer to Saudi Arabia at this point in his career, both Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund are continuing to keep an eye on the issue.

Nevertheless, Italy has unquestionably been the source of the most robust connections. It was reported that Como, an ambitious Serie A club, were ready to throw their hat into the ring amid claims that they were able to finance his signing and that Varane, who now works in an ambassadorial role for the club, could potentially influence a move. This comes on the heels of talks that have taken place this week with both Juventus and Milan.

Paris Saint-Germain’s apparent interest is also connected to their chase of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is now playing for Napoli.

A transfer to Napoli for Rashford, as part of a high-profile trade for the Georgian winger, was also reportedly being explored, according to French reports that surfaced on Saturday.

Rashford, on the other hand, has always had Barcelona as his top choice, and the fact that they have apparently begun the process of negotiating a transfer might result in the player being given his request to move to Barcelona.

In other news, Manchester United can now anticipate making their first signing of the January transfer window, which will also be the first deal of the Ruben Amorim era at Old Trafford. This will take place later on Saturday.

This is in response to the fact that several sources from South America have revealed that Diego Leon, a youngster from Cerro Porteno, will be going to Manchester on Saturday for a medical examination. He will be accompanied by his agency and a director from his present club.

Today is the day when Leon will be put through his medical examinations and given a tour of the club’s facilities thanks to the fact that Manchester United has agreed to pay him $5 million in addition to bonuses. In addition, it has been established when the player will be able to make his first appearance for the Red Devils roster.

The clubs that have been associated with Marcus Rashford
This is Samuel Bannister.

Barcelona: Rashford’s favourite destination is Barcelona, and the news that they have now made communication over a deal might still put him in a position to secure a move to the Nou Camp.

A loan agreement for a period of six months is being considered by AC Milan, which is one of the most prominent teams that is believed to have conducted discussions with Rashford’s representation. It has been reported that the brother of the striker has been in Milan for discussions with the Rossoneri. However, in order for him and Rafael Leao to be able to play in the same system, the Rossoneri would need to devise a solution.

It has been confirmed by Fabrizio Romano that Juventus is competing with Milan in the hunt to get Rashford for the Italian domestic team.

Como: Although Como are not as prominent as many of the teams who have been associated with Rashford, they have the wealthiest owners in Serie A, and Gianluca Di Marzio has disclosed that they might try their luck for the 27-year-old player. Romano, on the other hand, has dismissed the possibility of them attempting to get Rashford.

Rashford might be added to Antonio Conte’s Napoli team, and there have been rumours circulating in Italy that Manchester United could acquire a player such as Victor Osimhen or Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the opposite direction. However, it seems doubtful that this would happen.

Borussia Dortmund: As was reported by TEAMtalk at the beginning of the January transfer window and has since been verified by David Ornstein, Dortmund is attempting to replicate the success they had with Jadon Sancho, who was loaned to them from Manchester United. This comes exactly one year after Dortmund had signed Sancho on loan.

The French club Paris Saint-Germain, which is one of the richer clubs in Europe, has been a long-time fan of Rashford, and Rudy Galetti of TEAMtalk has claimed that this desire has not disappeared.

Monaco: According to the Daily Telegraph, the French club is making preparations to make a bid for Rashford and provide him with a lifestyle that is commensurate with his superstar status.

West Ham: Even though they are believed to be outsiders in the competition to acquire Rashford, West Ham are reportedly keeping an eye on the situation with Rashford and are following the developments that are taking place with him, as reported by a number of recent publications, including the BBC.

Arsenal: Arsenal has been connected with Rashford, and there have even been suggestions that they might be prepared to sign him permanently if the conditions are perfect. This is because Arsenal is looking for any more alternatives they can find up front.

According to the Daily Mail, Tottenham would be interested in taking Rashford on loan; however, Spurs have also been working on a move for Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani, which may potentially take precedence over the possibility of signing Rashford.

Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Qadsiah are the three Saudi Pro League clubs that have expressed interest in Rashford; nevertheless, the England international player has expressed no desire to relocate to the Emirates or any other Middle Eastern club.

Seattle Sounders: TEAMtalk writer Ben Jacobs has discovered that the Major League Soccer (MLS) is interested in Rashford. The Seattle Sounders are the team that is making an ambitious attempt to entice him to play for them across the Atlantic.