Manchester United are facing an increasingly complicated challenge as they search for a permanent solution to the Marcus Rashford situation.
The 28-year-old spent the 2025-26 campaign on loan at Barcelona.
After 28 goal contributions, many believed that Barcelona would have little hesitation in activating the £26 million purchase option included in the loan agreement.
Instead, the Catalan giants stunned everyone by investing £69m to sign Anthony Gordon.
Rashford still dreams of securing a permanent move to Barcelona, but he must now wait to see whether the Spanish champions return with a fresh proposal before the transfer window closes.
United should propose a blockbuster swap deal
The La Liga giants are reportedly open to selling their striker Ferran Torres this summer.
The Spanish forward enhanced his reputation even further by scoring the winning goal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final against Argentina.
His stock has never been higher, yet Barcelona may still consider a sale because of a costly clause included in his contract.
Torres has entered the final year of his deal at Camp Nou, and renewing it would reportedly force Barcelona to pay around €8m (£6.8m) to Manchester City.
The Catalan giants originally signed Torres from Man City in January 2022 in a deal worth a total package of €65m.
Torres would represent an intriguing addition because of his ability to operate anywhere across the front three.
Last season, he scored 16 goals in 38 appearances as a centre-forward while also contributing five goals and one assist when deployed out wide.
Rashford’s enormous salary remains one of the biggest obstacles for INEOS as they continue reshaping the wage structure at Old Trafford.
A swap deal involving Torres could solve multiple problems at once, allowing United to offload Rashford while securing a proven and versatile attacker in return.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com