Man Utd send official message to Barcelona over Rashford

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Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

Manchester United have told Barcelona that they will not be held to ransom in the transfer market over Marcus Rashford.

Rashford is on loan at Barcelona, where the Catalans have the option of buying out the agreement for €30 million – the outcome that the England international has made clear is his preferred scenario.

Although the Blaugrana still appear to be interested in adding the United academy graduate to their ranks, despite signing Anthony Gordon from Newcastle for around €80m, they continue to haggle on the fee with the Red Devils.

Barcelona sent Rashford warning

Man Utd CEO Omar Berrada has spoken about the club’s transfer policy ahead of the window and has emphasised the need to be disciplined in the transfer market.

“We have a clear plan,” he told Inside United. “We have to be really disciplined, it’s simple. It’s very important that you don’t let the market or the agents dictate what we should be doing.”

Berrada was primarily talking about potential signings, but the same clearly applies for United when it comes for sales – and that means the Rashford deal.

While the Man Utd chief did point out the need to be “agile and flexible”, the onus is on Barcelona to meet the Red Devils’ demands. A €30m fee for Rashford is a reasonable demand given the player has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €38.5m and has agreed to slash his wages to make the move happen.

But the Catalans’ priorities appear to lie elsewhere. They are looking at the possibility of further blockbuster additions in attack to supplement Gordon, with Julian Alvarez targeted as a potential replacement for the departing Robert Lewandowski, while Bernardo Silva is thought to be close to agreeing a move as a free agent.

This has left Rashford in a state of limbo as the World Cup approaches.

How close is Rashford to Barcelona?

United’s position has so far been clear: €30m or no deal.

The Premier League side has been able to take this firm stand because they believe that they can raise a greater fee by selling Rashford elsewhere. The likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle are all thought to carry an interest in the player, who may ultimately be forced to pick one of these clubs due to a lack of other options.

Under contract at Man Utd until 2028, the winger has been told publicly that he is welcome back at the club by manager Michael Carrick, though behind the scenes he does not appear in the new boss’ plans as things stand.

Barcelona continue to hope that United reassess their position on the player. Reports in Spain suggest this may be close with Sport stating: “United are now open to negotiating a different and more beneficial exit for Barcelona now that they have seen the player absolutely prioritised staying at Camp Nou and is closing himself off from any other proposal.”

Man Utd have reportedly given Barca until 15 June to make a final decision for Rashford.