Rashford breakthrough: €40m transfer accelerates

8 Jun 2026 12:00 BST | 5 min read

Marcus Rashford, Barcelona, 2025/26 — © IMAGO

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

Marcus Rashford’s future has taken an unexpected turn, with Manchester United set to have their €40 million asking price for the striker matched by an offer from Bayern Munich.

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Rashford has spent the last season on loan at Barcelona, where he has scored 14 goals and provided 12 assists.

His form at Camp Nou has not persuaded the Blaugrana to part with the €30m required to make the move permanent, despite the 28-year-old pushing for such an outcome.

Current ETV

Marcus Rashford

F, M (L)

Barcelona

Marcus Rashford

F, M (L)

Barcelona

ETV Range

€34.7M - €42.5M

Although Barca have sought another loan move, Man Utd have stood firm in their demands, believing that they could raise a sizeable transfer fee from elsewhere.

And that has now come, with Christian Falk (via The Sun) revealing that Bayern Munich are willing to offer the Red Devils €40m that will meet their revised asking price.

However, there remains a significant stumbling block before the deal reaches fruition.

Rashford wage demands threaten to block move

Rashford is unwilling to cut his wages to move to Bayern Munich. His salary is an estimated €19.5 million per season, but the Bavarian side are unwilling to meet this for a player who they believe will only be a squad option.

This poses the Bundesliga side a problem that Barcelona simply do not have.

Rashford has already agreed personal terms with Hansi Flick’s side and has negotiated a significant wage cut. Indeed, the Englishman has shown he is even willing to renegotiate these terms in order to allow the cash-strapped Catalans a better shot at meeting Man Utd’s demands.

Indeed, the loan deal was only brokered because of the player’s willingness to cut his salary to move to Barcelona.

It is a luxury that he is apparently unwilling to provide for Bayern, who are well known for their big wages but do not appear ready to break the bank for a player who is likely to be on their bench more often than not.

© IMAGO - Marcus Rashford is holding out for a move to Barcelona

Barcelona remains a possibility

While Barcelona have not ruled out signing Rashford, it’s clear that he is far from a priority.

The Blaugrana sprung a major surprise in securing Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon in an €80m deal. Unfortunately for Rashford, his compatriot is expected to fill largely the same role as he did, leaving major question marks over where he would fit in should he remain at Camp Nou.

Presently, the Catalans are seeking a player to fill the void that Robert Lewandowski will leave when he departs as a free agent this summer. This appears to have drawn much of their attention, with a tug-of-war ongoing for Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez.

In the meantime, Man Utd have placed a deadline of 15 June for Barcelona to make a decision as to whether they sign Rashford.

Rashford is in no rush

One luxury that Rashford does have currently is time. The transfer window has not even opened yet and there already appears to be significant interest in him.

The World Cup will also provide another showcase to remind clubs what he is capable of.

The opportunity that Bayern are ready to offer him, though, is not an inconsiderable one. He would likely have a similar squad status to the one that he has enjoyed at Barca this season and would have the opportunity to join Harry Kane at the Allianz Arena.

These are likely to be decisive weeks in Rashford’s career, and it appears the Man Utd striker will not easily be parted from his dream of staying in Barcelona.

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