Man Utd winger Marcus Rashford has spent the season on loan with Barcelona, who have the option to sign him permanently.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta.(Image: Europa Press 2026)
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The Spanish press sharing images of Anthony Gordon's agents arriving in Barcelona confirms that the transfer silly season is almost here. Barcelona view Gordon as an alternative to Marcus Rashford and, in theory, holding preliminary talks with his representatives could make Manchester United sweat.
Barcelona have the option to sign Rashford on a permanent transfer for £26million (€30m) after his season-long loan, but the initial noise from Spain was that the Catalan club would like to negotiate a lower fee.
The latest rumour has been that Barcelona will decline their option to sign Rashford because of the impasse over the fee. United are not willing to concede ground, and have outlined a 'pay up, or don't sign him' stance.
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A cynic could suggest that holding talks with Gordon's camp seems convenient for Barcelona, and that it's merely a ploy to put pressure on United to agree to sell Rashford for less than the agreed £26m fee.
Barcelona could be playing games with United to sign Rashford at a knockdown price, but holding talks with Newcastle star Gordon's representatives would undermine that strategy for a very obvious reason.
Gordon would cost more than £26m. In fact, he would cost a lot more, so how could United take Barcelona's desire to sign Rashford for a lower fee seriously when they are courting an alternative worth three times the price?
There is an acceptance within the corridors of St. James' Park that at least one of Newcastle's stars will be sold this summer to comply with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), which means Gordon will be attainable, but he is contracted until the summer of 2030.
He is an England international and could start for his nation on the left wing at the World Cup this summer. Do Barcelona really have the money to make a bid in the region of £75m for the 25-year-old?
The last time Barcelona stumped up that kind of fee was in 2019 to sign Frenkie de Jong from Ajax. In the years since, they have been forced to box more intelligently in the transfer market due to their financial situation.
Rashford with Lamine Yamal.
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However, the sparring match between Barcelona and United over Rashford is about to enter the final rounds, as it's understood their option to sign him for £26m expires after the end of the season, around early June.
That means Barcelona have a month to decide whether they will meet the fee that was agreed when Rashford signed on loan. Speaking in March, Barcelona president Joan Laporta said: "We will try, in Barca’s interest, to ensure that Marcus Rashford can continue with us beyond this season.
"Marcus is performing very well with assists and goals, we’re happy. We could extend the loan further. It depends on what Deco wants. There are formulas, such as paying part of the buy option to Manchester United and figuring out the rest later.”
Michael Carrick was recently asked about the prospect of Rashford returning if Barcelona did not sign him. Carrick said: "I just think there's decisions to be made in time, really, on certain things, and obviously Marcus is in that situation. But at this point in time, nothing's been decided.
"And it will be, because it has to be at a certain point, but at this stage, there's nothing to say."
When asked whether it was a case of never closing doors with players, he responded: "Yeah, I'm not going on the Marcus individual one, because I think, like I've already touched on, I think to comment either way at this stage is just not the right thing to do, because there's uncertainties, for sure.
"But for me, as I said, individual players who I'm able to work with in this part of the squad then I enjoy doing that, and trying to get the best out of them."
Carrick played with Rashford, coached him, and briefly managed him.
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It was put to Carrick that Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire, both of who have faced challenging periods at United, are examples of players who suggest Rashford could have a comeback of his own.
"Certainly from my perspective, whoever's here, I want to work with, make the best out of, and help them improve. So, at the moment, it's this squad of players, and there's obviously players on loan, and whatever happens with that later on will happen with that later on," he said.
"But certainly, as a coach, and as a leader of a squad, that we want to get the best out of everyone as much as we possibly can, for sure, yeah."
The chances of Rashford making a shock return to United were zero under Ruben Amorim but it's impossible to say there is categorically no chance of him playing for the club again now that Carrick is in charge.
Still, not much should be read into Carrick's comments on Rashford although he is uniquely positioned because he has played with Rashford, coached him, and briefly managed him.
United also want to strengthen their left flank this summer, leading some fans to speculate that Rashford may have another chapter to write in Manchester. Stranger things have happened in football (Cristiano Ronaldo almost signed for Manchester City), but too much water has gone under the bridge to reintegrate Rashford.
The most likely outcome still feels like Barcelona succumbing to the £26m option to sign Rashford, who is ending the season strongly and has contributed 13 goals and 14 assists across all competitions. The fee is more than fair for a player capable of that output. Barcelona appear to be trying to fight dirty.