Rashford to Barcelona? Man Utd star 'willing to do whatever it takes' for January transfer

Suraj Radia

• 21 Dec 2023 16:31 GMT
• 3 min read

Marcus Rashford ‘will do whatever it takes’ to leave Manchester United for Barcelona according to reports in Spain who claim the La Liga side are hoping to sign him on loan in January.

Rashford scored 30 goals last season but has endured a disastrous campaign so far, having netted just once from open play across 21 games in all competitions this year.

The 26-year-old penned a new long-term contract during the summer which makes him among the highest earners at Old Trafford but Rashford has been relegated to the bench by Erik ten Hag for the past three games.

The England international’s alarming drop off has fuelled speculation that he has fallen out with Ten Hag, leading to El Nacional claiming that Rashford is keen to leave United ‘as soon as possible’, particularly after the club’s Champions League exit.

The Catalan outlet state that Rashford is ‘clear’ about which club ‘most seduces him’, with Barcelona president Joan Laporta reportedly receiving a call from the player’s agent pushing for a transfer.

However, a stumbling block for Rashford would be Barcelona’s inability to afford a permanent transfer, meaning United would have to agree to a loan deal, which is unlikely considering their lack of quality and depth in attack currently.

Rashford looking to revive career in Barcelona

Rashford has long been admired by Barcelona and the feeling is allegedly mutual for the England international, who is said to see the La Liga champions as a place where he can regain his confidence while also solving the club’s current problems.

Barca have slipped to third in La Liga, six points off leaders Girona, who also have a game in hand, while Xavi has been dealing with injuries to key players as well as a drop off in form from striker Robert Lewandowski.

With United sitting seventh in the Premier League and not immediately competing for any major trophies, Rashford is described as being willing to do ‘whatever it takes’ to ‘land at Barcelona’, with the hope that a potential loan could also include a purchase option.

However, the report concludes by stating that it is ‘difficult’ for Ten Hag to ‘open the doors’ to his departure, meaning Rashford making a January move to Barca is extremely unlikely even if the Spanish side do have a strong interest in him.