Marcus Rashford More Out than In at Manchester United
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is edging closer to a shock move to FC Barcelona after Aston Villa declined to activate their buy option for the England international. Rashford left United in January to join Unai Emery’s side following a reported fallout with head coach Rúben Amorim. During his loan spell, the 27-year-old was a reliable presence for the Villains, contributing directly to 10 goals in 17 appearances.
Rashford’s future at Manchester United appears to be nonexistent unless something drastic changes between him and Amorim—a scenario that seems increasingly unlikely. The Portuguese manager made his stance abundantly clear, stating he would “rather start his goalkeeper coach as a striker than play Marcus Rashford.”
With Aston Villa opting against making the loan move permanent and United unwilling to reintegrate the academy graduate, the door is wide open for a potential switch to Barcelona.
As previously reported by Softfootball, Barcelona has registered concrete interest in Rashford. The Catalan club views him as a dependable option to challenge Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres for the No. 9 role. His versatility has also caught the attention of Sporting Director Deco, with Rashford capable of playing across the entire front line.
However, two key obstacles could derail the transfer. First is the skepticism of Barcelona manager Hansi Flick. Despite the club’s hierarchy—and Deco in particular—backing Rashford’s signing, the German coach is reportedly unconvinced. Flick has not yet approved the move, preferring the club to finalise a deal for Spain international Nico Williams. He also believes that the inclusion of Swedish prodigy Rooney Bardghji, dubbed the “Swedish Messi”, would provide sufficient attacking depth.
Rashford is also attracting interest outside Spain. German champions Bayern Munich have expressed interest in the forward, and with Manchester United eager to offload him, Rashford could be available for a surprisingly affordable fee.
