Manchester United are actively looking to sell Marcus Rashford during the January window, and according to recent reports, the England international wants to join Barcelona.
Currently, Borussia Dortmund are leading the race to sign Rashford, and the German club are in active talks with Manchester United. While Rashford is open to the idea of playing for Dortmund, his ultimate dream is to play under Hansi Flick.
Rashford has not played for Manchester United this year, and Ruben Amorim has repeatedly hinted that the forward is not part of his long-term plans. Some rumours suggest Rashford still hopes to impress the new manager, but he is also ready to move on for a fresh start.
Will a move to Barcelona materialize for Marcus Rashford?
David Ornstein from The Athletic reports that Rashford’s exit in January remains uncertain, despite several clubs showing interest. But at the same time, Sport is claiming that Rashford’s representatives met with Barcelona officials in Lisbon on Tuesday night before the Catalan club’s game against Benfica.
Barcelona admire Marcus Rashford and are keen to sign him however, their current financial situation makes it impossible to pursue such a high-profile player unless they free up wages. Barcelona are in the process of offloading Ansu Fati and Eric Garcia and only after these two players leave can they attempt to sign Rashford.
While Dortmund are a viable option, Rashford will likely prefer to stay at Manchester United until the summer if Barcelona’s interest is genuine. This will give him time to secure a move to the Catalan club and he can also try and get some minutes under his belt at Old Trafford.
Manchester United’s new owners, INEOS, are open to selling Rashford during the January transfer window. However, since his contract runs until 2028, the club are not under pressure to offload him immediately.
Rashford earns around £325,000 per week, which further complicates a potential move to Barcelona. The Catalan club can consider a short-term loan deal, but even then, it would be difficult for them to cover 70-80% of his wages.
In conclusion, while Barcelona are interested in Marcus Rashford, financial constraints make the transfer unlikely in the current window. A summer move seems more feasible, provided the Catalan club can sort out their wage issues by getting rid of all the deadwood.