Five clubs considering £26m Rashford transfer from Man Utd – including Newcastle
Anthony Gordon’s stunning move to Barcelona does not mean Marcus Rashford’s Catalonian dreams are in tatters.
While Barcelona are not flush with cash, The i Paper has been told they are in a much better financial position than they have been for some time. They are therefore treating both Gordon and Rashford’s deals in isolation.
The fact Barcelona are in the running for Julian Alvarez – and willing to pay a nine-figure fee – is proof of this. If they want to find the cash to make Rashford’s stay in Barcelona a permanent one, they will. The issue is how much they are willing to pay.
It is understood no such decision has been made at the highest level yet. The i Paper has been told that most key figures would prefer to keep the 28-year-old. That includes manager Hansi Flick, Rashford himself, sporting director Deco and president Joan Laporta.
But given Rashford’s age and the potential salary involved, his future is up in the air.
What is Man Utd’s stance on Rashford’s future?
Rashford is understood to retain no animosity towards Manchester United despite how things turned desperately sour before he moved on loan to Barcelona last summer.
He still retains a close relationship with some of the players, still follows all matches as any fan would, and sources close to the player insist he has not achieved all he wanted to at Old Trafford.
As things stands, Rashford is under contract until 2028. The i Paper has been told United want to move the player on, to save on his £325,000-a-week wages and garner a fee while he is a sellable asset.
The player is not against returning to his boyhood club. Sources said that he will report for pre-season training at the earliest opportunity, if no move away has materialised.
Insiders added Rashford has not spoken ill of United since leaving, and thus does not deserve to be sent to train alone or with the reserves. His social media message of thanks last week to Unai Emery, Hansi Flick and others who have helped him rekindled his career in the past few years, from what sources said was a “bleak place”, was not the dig at United many interpreted it to be.
Rashford is just very happy to have turned things around. He has not only won a place back in the England squad, but he could feasibly be a World Cup starter.
Currently, there is no panic. Barcelona have until 15 June to enact the option they have to buy Rashford for £26m that was inserted into his loan deal. There are no plans to accept any lower terms currently.
However, sources in Spain indicated Barca simply do not intend to come close to that figure, and will let the deadline pass before revisiting. Gordon’s arrival puts them in a strong position. An offer closer to £15m is more likely, if it even comes at all.
Which other clubs are interested in Rashford?
Part of the reason for United’s confidence in getting a respectable fee for an England international forward is that there are other interested clubs.
At least three Premier League clubs are understood to be monitoring the situation. One source added Newcastle could turn to Rashford as a replacement for Gordon, even if it does not fit into the overall recruitment policy of the club. Aston Villa could also re-sign the forward who spent the last half of the 2024-25 season at Villa Park.
Read more
Tottenham’s recruitment policy is different to that of Newcastle’s. They are keen to add Premier League experience to their young ranks, with Rashford understood to be of interest to them.
Bayern Munich are another still assessing the situation. They are in the market for another wide option to provide competition for Michael Olise and Luis Diaz.
With no offers on the table, another season-long loan away from United cannot be ruled out, which opens Rashford up to wider options.
Rashford’s team expect to be able to provide some update one way or another in the coming weeks. They are understood to be trying to shield Rashford from all the transfer talk, with focus solely on the World Cup, where he has arrived early to begin training in the heat.
