Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is reportedly edging closer to a move to Barcelona after Aston Villa opted not to activate their purchase option.
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Rashford departed Old Trafford in January following a fallout with manager Ruben Amorim and joined Villa on loan for the remainder of the season. ..Continue Reading
During his time at Villa Park, the 27-year-old contributed to ten goals in 17 appearances, helping to restore his reputation across Europe—something that has pleased United’s hierarchy.
It’s become increasingly clear that Rashford is unlikely to remain at United unless Amorim makes a dramatic reversal, especially after publicly stating earlier this year that he’d prefer to play his goalkeeping coach over the England international.
When asked why Rashford wasn’t being selected, Amorim replied: “It’s always the same reason: the training, the way I see a footballer should do in life. It’s every day, every detail.
“If things don’t change, I will not change. It’s the same situation for every player, if you do the maximum and right things we can use every player.
“You can see on the bench we miss a bit of pace on the bench. But I would put [Man Utd goalkeeper coach Jorge] Vital before a player who doesn’t give the maximum every day.”
Amorim admitted he was “really happy” to see Rashford doing well on his loan spell, he commented in April: “All players on loan will return and then the club will decide what to do at the end of the season. The talent of Rashford, Antony… we are really happy because if you put players on loan you want them to perform.”
Rashford is now reportedly edging closer to a move to Barcelona after Aston Villa confirmed his departure, ending speculation that they might activate the £40 million purchase clause.
Reports from Spain suggest that Rashford is “closer to joining Barcelona” following his exit from Villa, and that he remains a player of interest for the La Liga champions.
The United forward, who is also being monitored by Bayern Munich, could be available for a more affordable fee, as United have made it clear he is not part of their future plans.
With Villa stepping away, the door has reopened for Rashford to potentially fulfill his long-standing ambition of playing at Camp Nou.
However, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is reportedly not in favor of bringing in the England international, despite sporting director Deco previously acknowledging the club’s interest—making any potential deal more complicated.
Meanwhile, former United academy product Demetri Mitchell has weighed in on the rumors, suggesting that Rashford could be a modern-day version of Gareth Bale if he makes the switch to La Liga.
Mitchell wrote on X: ‘Rashford in La Liga would be frightening when he gets back to his best, could be like a Bale Regen.’
Another former team-mate of Rashford’s, Timothy Fosu-Mensah is hopeful that the United forward can be “happy” wherever he ends up next campaign.
Fosu-Mensah told The Independent: “I just want him to be happy. Everybody just wants him to be happy. The most important things is for him to feel good, for him to feel happy. Look, the quality is definitely there. Nobody needs to say anything about this quality, because he’s a top player.”
