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Spanish giants Barcelona could reportedly pursue a move for Chelsea star Christopher Nkunku if they fail to sign Marcus Rashford from Manchester United. According to reports from Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg, the Catalan giants have the Frenchman as an alternative option on their transfer target list.
After falling out of favour with Red Devils' manager Ruben Amorim, Rashford joined Aston Villa on loan in the second half of the 2024-25 campaign. Despite racking up four goals and six assists in 17 appearances for the Villans, he was cast out of the first-team squad upon his return to Old Trafford.
Following their failure to sign top transfer target Nico Williams from Athletic Club, Barcelona moved on to other targets like Rashford and Liverpool's Luis Diaz. While a move for the latter remains complicated due to the significantly high transfer fee, a loan-to-buy move for the former is on the horizon.
According to reports from Mundo Deportivo, Rashford has turned down a move to the Saudi Pro League on multiple occasions and only wants to join Barcelona. However, he doesn't want to wait much longer, as he wants to get acquainted with manager Hansi Flick ahead of the 2025-26 season.
If Barca fail to strike a deal for Rashford, Plettenberg (via @BarcaTimes on X) has claimed that they would shift their focus onto Nkunku. Despite starting in just 25 of his 47 appearances for Chelsea last campaign, the 27-year-old delivered a solid return of 15 goals and five assists.
Nkunku has the ability to play on both wings, as a centre-forward and as an attacking midfielder. Hence, Barcelona would add invaluable versatility to their squad if they make a move for the Frenchman.
Chelsea enquire about €50 million-rated 21-year-old Barcelona star - Reports
Premier League giants Chelsea have reportedly enquired about Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado ahead of a potential summer move.
Although he made his senior debut in the 2022-23 campaign, Casado became an integral part of the first team under Hansi Flick in the 2024-25 campaign. The defensive midfielder bagged a goal and six assists in 36 appearances. However, a lateral collateral ligament (LCL) tear in March sidelined him for the rest of the season.
According to CaughtOffside (via The Pride of London), Chelsea are one of multiple Premier League sides interested in Casado. The Blues' London rivals, Arsenal and Manchester United, are reportedly intrigued by the possibility of adding the Spaniard to their squad.
Barca are willing to sell their young star this summer in an attempt to solve their financial woes and resume their activity in the transfer market. His contract has a €100 million release clause. However, it is believed that a fee of around €50 million would be enough to convince the Blaugrana to part ways with Casado.
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Aaryan Nagraj
Aaryan has been covering European football at Sportskeeda since the start of 2024. He is pursuing an integrated M.Sc. degree in Chemistry at NIT Rourkela, and tends to rely on his proclivity for numbers and statistics for his content, making the most of websites like Transfermarkt and FotMob. He is also a district level basketball and table tennis player.
A Borussia Dortmund fan, Aaryan had his first tryst with football during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Despite his young mind being influenced by Lionel Messi's exploits, his favorite World Cup moment is Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning free-kick against Spain from the 2018 version. He strongly believes that Jude Bellingham and Florian Wirtz can replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their respective potentials.
Aaryan, who has been on commentary panels for football and cricket tournaments at his university, is a huge admirer of Achraf Hakimi for the Moroccan's loan stint in Dortmund between 2018 and 2020. His favorite manager is Jurgen Klopp, who impressed him with his excellent tactical nous and benignant man-management skills.
When he is not scouring the internet for unique statistics, Aaryan follows the Indian Super League, the A-League, and the Saudi Pro League among others. He is an avid quizzer and debater, and a trained classical and western musician who likes to rock out for his college band, Euphony, as lead vocalist and guitarist.
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Edited by Aditya Singh