Rashford future takes new twist: Arsenal haven’t forgotten Man Utd attacker

News

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

Arsenal are the latest side to be linked with a move for Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford, whose future is currently in the hands of Barcelona.

Rashford has spent the whole season at Camp Nou, where he has scored 13 and created 14 more.

Despite an impressive campaign with Barca, the Catalan club are wary of triggering his €30 million buyout option due to financial restrictions they face, and this situation has alerted both Arsenal and Bayern Munich to track the winger, according to the Daily Mail.

Arsenal and Bayern Munich monitor Rashford

Arsenal followed Rashford during the January 2025 transfer window, shortly after he fell out of favour with Ruben Amorim.

Now the Gunners, who are known to be in the market for a new left-sided attacker this summer, are studying the possibility of recruiting the 28-year-old.

The report indicates that Rashford, who has one year remaining on his Man Utd contract, ‘seems unlikely’ to have a future at Old Trafford, even if Barcelona do not decide to buy him.

United, meanwhile, would like to get a deal done quickly to facilitate their move for AC Milan’s Rafael Leao.

Marcus Rashford to Arsenal: Would it work?

Arsenal would be a sound destination for Rashford, according to SciSports, which analyses potential transfers based on a variety of metrics from potential development and game time to playing style and formation.

The Gunners are given a solid Club Fit score of 73 by the data analytics experts, who nevertheless warn that his playing time at the Emirates Stadium could be limited. Rashford scores only one star in this regard.

However, the opportunity to develop his game is excellent, receiving five stars, while Mikel Arteta’s formation gets four stars.

There are better clubs for him, though. Ironically, the best is Manchester United, who get a Club Fit of 85, while Barcelona score 84. The Red Devils’ fierce rivals Liverpool score 83 and Manchester City hit 82.

Perhaps most interestingly given the recent rumours, Bayern Munich also score 85, though there are major concerns over his playing time at the Allianz Arena.

Barcelona move latest

Rashford’s future at Barcelona continues to hang in the balance, with no official word from the club over whether they will take up the buyout clause in his contract.

The Englishman is fighting for his chance at a long-term deal with the Catalans, though. While Hansi Flick has overlooked him on his natural left wing in recent weeks, he has used Rashford to good effect off the right, where he impressed greatly as a substitute in the weekend’s match against Osasuna.

This versatility is seen as another way in which Rashford could land the move to Barcelona that he wants.

His issue, though, is that he has a sizeable wage bill. Even after agreeing personal terms with the club, it would represent a big investment from Barcelona’s perspective.

Flick’s side have a couple of major issues to deal with in the transfer window before considering Rashford’s arrival.

Robert Lewandowski’s likely exit as a free agent leaves the Blaugrana chasing a new forward, while they also want a centre-back. Both of these signings are likely to be pricey, restricting their ability to sign Rashford and leaving the Englishman’s future in limbo for the moment.

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•App Store