Man Utd handed Rashford lifeline by Barcelona interest

Cameron Smith

• 22 Apr 2022 09:33 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United could be given a timely way out for forward Marcus Rashford with news that Barcelona are interested in the Englishman.

With new head coach Erik ten Hag arriving through the door once this current season ends, big changes are expected to happen at Old Trafford.

Ralf Rangnick has revealed that the club need to change their transfer strategy and that as many as 10 new players could arrive this transfer window.

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To facilitate that rebuild, several current stars are expected to be moved on. Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Jesse Lingard are three players who will leave Man Utd this summer, and Marcus Rashford could be another.

The Guardian reported back in March that Rashford was understood to be "considering his future" due to a lack of game time and is now one of the players who could be sold in a summer transformation at the club.

The Englishman has reached double digits for Premier League goals in each of the last three campaigns, but with only four strikes so far this season that looks set to change unless he hits a goal-scoring streak to end the year.

After undergoing shoulder surgery following his return from the European Championships last season, Rashford hasn't been his former self, with the injury seeming to affect his game. He's lost his place in the England set-up and with starts not too frequent at Old Trafford he risks missing out on this winter's World Cup if he stays at Man Utd.

With Rashford aged 24, his career is at a crossroads and the threat of a contract expiring in 2023 could see Man Utd look to sell him this summer.

Arsenal are understood to have shown a brief interest earlier this campaign, but it's Barcelona who are leading the race by a distance, according to Spanish reports.

Could Rashford join Barcelona?

Given his situation at Man Utd, Rashford has caught the eyes of those at Barcelona who reportedly believe they can attract him to the Camp Nou.

Sport say the 24-year-old isn't part of Ten Hag's plans and that Barca are readying an offer. The Spanish giants are said to be fans of Rashford's versatility of playing as a winger or through the middle and see him as the perfect target for how Xavi is currently playing.

There has been previous contact from Barcelona, and with Rashford set to leave Man Utd, the Blaugrana currently lead the race for his signature.

With his form dipping in recent weeks and months, shifting Rashford could well have been a tough task for Ten Hag, but Barca's interest has handed them a perfect escape route with a move seemingly ideal for all parties involved.