Marcus Rashford could give Manchester United a parting gift by securing a move to Barcelona FC ahead of next season. The forward appears to have no future at Old Trafford despite being tied down to the Red Devils until 2028. He is widely expected to leave this summer and is thought to be attracting no shortage of interest.
A number of clubs in Europe have been linked with a move for Rashford, who spent the second half of the season on loan at Aston Villa. However, he is said to be rejecting every transfer offer thrown his way as he is holding out for a move to Barcelona. They were linked with a loan move in January and have been tipped to revive their pursuit in the coming weeks.
Rashford’s brother and agent Dwaine Maynard held talks with Barcelona sporting director Deco earlier this week, according to Sport. Meanwhile, those in power at the Nou Camp are said to be encouraged by the player's 'extreme motivation' to join them.
If the move goes ahead, it could do United a huge favour when it comes to their pursuit of Victor Osimhen. They are said to be interested in signing the Napoli forward after missing out on Liam Delap, who has decided to join Chelsea.
United will need to sell either Rashford or Bruno Fernandes to make room for Osimhen, according to Foot Mercato. This is because the Red Devils are unable to afford the player's weekly salary, believed to be in the region of £200,000.
Rashford is thought to earn around £315,000 per week at United, meaning that his exit would free up some much-needed space in the budget.
Osimhen would certainly be an upgrade on Rashford, who has struggled to impress at Old Trafford for several years now. A move for the Nigerian striker would also give United a crucial boost in a position which has been problematic this season.
Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee only managed seven league goals between them, a measly total for strikers at a club of United's stature. It is clear that a prolific forward is desperately needed and Osimhen would be the perfect fit.
United will need to move quickly to snap him up, though. He is said to favour a move to Saudi Arabia, having agreed terms with Al-Hilal, and it remains to be seen if the Red Devils would be able to hijack the proposed deal.