Marcus Rashford smiles during his loan spell at Aston Villa
Marcus Rashford smiles during his loan spell at Aston Villa
It is unclear whether Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford will be in attendance at Old Trafford on Sunday when his parent club take on his temporary team Aston Villa on the final day of the Premier League season.
What is obvious is that Rashford will be keeping a watchful eye on proceedings no matter where he happens to be on Sunday afternoon. Once the game ends at the Theatre of Dreams this weekend, the focus will turn to what happens next for Rashford.
A return to United seems out of the question considering that the relationship between the forward and manager Ruben Amorim. Recent comments from Barcelona sporting director Deco, however, have increased speculation he could head to the La Liga giants this summer.
The former Chelsea midfielder was quoted this week stating that Barca have an interest in both Rashford and Liverpool winger Luis Diaz. Speaking to RAC1, Deco said: "Talking about players who have contracts with other clubs is complicated out of respect.
"We like Luis [Diaz], we like [Marcus] Rashford, and we like other players. When we go to the market, there are names that we know and that could improve the team."
With Villa not already having an agreement to sign Rashford following the conclusion of his loan spell, it seems like they are at a disadvantage considering the pull of Barca. The only concern for the United academy graduate is whether the La Liga giants would prefer Diaz over him.
The Colombian has impressed this season for Liverpool while there are still question marks over Rashford's consistency. However, Barcelona's minds could have been made up for them by Arne Slot on Friday.
Speaking in his final pre-match press conference of the season, Slot was asked about Diaz's future and the comments from Deco. "Did Deco say this about Diaz in the microphone or is that from hearsay?" Slot asked before being told this was a direct quote.
Barcelona director Deco (Image: Getty Images)
"Yes, every club has his own way of doing things. I don’t talk about players from other clubs.
"I understand he is a big admirer of Lucho Diaz. I am a big admirer of him as well.
"He is a great player and had a great season. I admire Lamine Yamal and Raphinha."
The general tone of Slot's response suggests that Liverpool are willing to keep Diaz and are not looking to sell him to Barcelona this summer. If that is the case, the door would be wide open for United to sell Rashford to the Catalan club and complete a deal which would be mutually beneficial for all involved.
Get United transfer news and updates on WhatsApp!
Our team of Manchester United experts are on top of all the goings-on at Old Trafford for this week and beyond, and you can get the latest team news, injury updates, reaction and analysis along with inside information to your phone by joining our new free WhatsApp community. You can also join the 50,000 (and growing!) band of United fans who are following our WhatsApp Channel.
Sign up to our community here, and join our WhatsApp channel here.
--
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.