Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim talks to the media
Man United head coach Ruben Amorim will hope to see Marcus Rashford sold this summer
Marcus remains in limbo with looking to offload their academy graduate this summer.
The Reds forward spent the second half of this season on loan at Aston Villa and showed some promise under Unai Emery. Rashford scored four goals and provided six assists before an injury ended his campaign prematurely.
Villa have the option to sign United's attacker for £40million this summer in what would be a welcome PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules) boost for the Reds. Rashford's homegrown status means any sale would represent pure profit for United - giving them greater flexibility to strengthen Ruben Amorim's squad.
Barcelona though are said to be the 27-year-old's dream destination. It's a move which could also work in United's favour. Selling Rashford abroad when the Reds are unlikely to face Barca in European competition for some time would be ideal.
But the Reds' Premier League rivals Liverpool could throw a spanner in Rashford's dream move. Reports in Spanish publication AS claim that Liverpool’s Luis Diaz and the England international are both ‘in pole position’ to join Barcelona.
It is said they are looking for a left winger who can also operate as a No.9 and both players fit this profile.
But it seems incredibly unlikely that the Catalan giants will sign both, particularly when considering their financial limitations. The Covid pandemic and stadium renovations have seen board members cough up millions to keep the club within the Spanish top-flight's financial fair play rules.
Depending on how much Liverpool will demand for Diaz, it's hard to see why Barca would go for Rashford over the Colombian. The former Porto star scored 17 goals this season and provided eight assists across all competitions.
While Rashford is a year younger, he is far more unproven at the highest level, with his stellar 2022/23 campaign the standout during a near-decade-long career in the professional game. United could therefore have to look elsewhere to offload their winger, who may never see his dream move materialise if Diaz joins the La Liga champions.
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