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Man Utd’s ‘prime’ Rashford replacement revealed: €70m Barcola leads five-man shortlist
Manchester United have put PSG’s Bradley Barcola atop a five-man shortlist of potential replacements for Marcus Rashford.
Rashford is expected to make his loan move to Barcelona permanent in the summer, with the Catalans expected to find a way to complete the €30 million purchase.
This has left United seeking options on the wing, with France international star Barcola described as their “prime” candidate ahead of the summer transfer window by the Manchester Evening News.
Barcola could leave PSG
Barcola’s future at PSG is uncertain, despite the former Lyon star helping the Ligue 1 club to their first Champions League title last term.
His performances have lacked consistency this season while he remains erratic in front of goal, drawing criticism in the local media. Although he has 10 Ligue 1 goals to his credit this season, he has yet to get off the mark in the Champions League.
The 23-year-old is not a cheap option. His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) currently sits at €69.2m, and with interest also coming from Liverpool ahead of the summer, PSG will feel confident that they should be able to drive that figure even higher.
Barcola, meanwhile, is under contract at Parc des Princes until 2028, giving the French side some room to manoeuvre.
Man Utd’s shortlist in full
Man Utd appreciate that Barcola will be a difficult target to land and are following a raft of other players who could potentially replace Rashford on their books.
RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande is another high-profile figure, with the Bundesliga club having put an asking price of €80m plus on the 19-year-old, who has been a sensation in Germany this season.
Jesus Rodriguez of Como is another player being studied while Man Utd are also following Strasbourg’s Martial Godo and Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye.
A common factor
United’s shortlist of Rashford replacements is a little surprising given the success that the club had in buying proven Premier League talent last summer.
Indeed, the arrivals of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha seemed to have signalled a shift in transfer policy at Old Trafford towards buying up talent from their rivals.
As they search for Rashford’s heir, the Red Devils appear more willing to look elsewhere for talent, with the focus instead being on high-level young players who have a high potential ceiling.
Barcola may be the leading candidate, but United are keeping their options open, knowing this summer is likely to be very competitive when it comes to signing wide men, with Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea also in the market for such players.
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