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Barcelona's reported pursuit of Marcus Rashford has suffered a major setback as Manchester United are keen on selling the Englishman permanently. Meanwhile, La Blaugrana remain firm in their stance of a loan move, according to Sport.
The Manchester United academy graduate is seemingly nearing a departure from Old Trafford. He was left out by Ruben Amorim for consecutive matchdays, including the Manchester derby, in December 2024. The Englishman later joined Aston Villa on a short-term loan deal in the winter window.
In his 17 appearances for Aston Villa across all competitions, Rashford scored four goals and provided six assists. However, he suffered an early end to the season with a hamstring injury against Manchester City on April 23.
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The Villans reportedly have the option to make the move permanent for a fee of £40 million. However, after they failed to secure Champions League football, the move seems unlikely.
According to La Blaugrana's sporting director, Deco, the LaLiga champions have Rashford and Liverpool's Luis Diaz on their radar. According to the aforementioned report (via Manchester Evening News), Rashford's brother, Dwaine Maynard, held talks with Deco, and Barcelona are not willing to meet United's asking price for the Englishman.
As a result, La Blaugrana are interested in initiating a loan deal. Meanwhile, Manchester United are refusing to negotiate anything other than a permanent transfer.
Barcelona star Raphinha makes bold claim for potential summer signings
Raphinha has claimed that any new attacker at La Blaugrana would have to work harder than him. Barcelona are linked with Marcus Rashford and Luis Diaz in the summer transfer window.
The Brazilian attacker was close to leaving the LaLiga giants last summer; however, he remained and enjoyed a spectacular season, where Hansi Flick's side completed the domestic treble.
The 28-year-old also penned a new contract with the LaLiga champions last month, which will keep him with the Catalan club until the summer of 2028. When asked about Marcus Rashford or Luis Diaz competing with him for spots in the starting line-up, the Brazilian attacker told Mundo Deportivo (via ESPN):
"I don't mind. After the season, I don't say I am a guaranteed starter or will never miss a game, but whoever comes in will have to work harder than me. For me, the important thing is that whoever is here or signs, works hard and helps the team. It's important to have a lot of top, committed players."
In the 2024-25 campaign, Raphinha also stepped up as La Blaugrana's captain in some games. The Brazilian attacker played 57 games last season, bagging 34 goals and providing 25 assists.
