Marcus Rashford could be given the opportunity to move to Italy as Barcelona are facing fresh competition for the Manchester United outcast, as per a report.
Rashford is due to return to Man Utd following the end of his loan spell with Aston Villa. Unai Emery’s side had the option to sign him permanently for £40million (€47.5m / $54m) but have decided to prioritise different parts of their squad.
The forward impressed at Villa and showed glimpses of his best form. This has seen him emerge on the radars of several Premier League and European clubs who are spying a potential bargain.
Barcelona have put themselves at the front of the queue to sign Rashford as he would love to join them, something TEAMtalk revealed back in February.
But Barca will need to act fast if they are to capture Rashford as Inter Milan have joined the hunt.
According to The Sun, Rashford has emerged as a ‘shock target’ for Inter amid his ‘desperate’ search for a new club.
The Nerazzurri have been put on ‘red alert’ after learning that Villa will not be signing Rashford permanently.
Inter want to bounce back from their Champions League final ‘horror show’ and have identified the England star as a ‘key acquisition’ to improve their forward line.
Inter chiefs also believe the swoop will ‘excite supporters’ who have been left distraught after the club missed out on both the Champions League crown and Scudetto.
Inter know they need to ‘rebuild’ their side to make it more energetic and youthful after being shown up by Paris Saint-Germain.
Rashford is no longer a young prospect at 27 years old, but he could add an electric new element to the Inter attack.
The report quotes a source as saying: “Marcus is open-minded to a move abroad, and a fresh start.
“Lots of players have made the move from the Premier League to Serie A in recent years and performed very well. That’s why the idea of such a switch excites both the player and Inter.”
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Inter going through big changes
Rashford could join Inter alongside a new head coach. Simone Inzaghi is on the cusp of joining Saudi club Al-Hilal after opting to leave Inter, with Cesc Fabregas lined up as his replacement.
Inter could soon enter talks for Rashford and provide Barca with serious competition.
It emerged on May 28 that the player’s agent and brother, Dwaine Maynard, has met with Barca sporting director Deco to get the deal up and running.
The main sticking point for Barca is United’s £40m demands. They would rather sign Rashford on loan with an option to buy for summer 2026.
There has been speculation Barca could offer United one of three players to try and bring the price down via a swap deal, though it remains to be seen if the Red Devils will agree to this.
Either way, Rashford is highly unlikely to be playing for United next term as there is no way back for him under Ruben Amorim.
Transfer news round-up: Hojlund latest; Inter in Liverpool tussle
Meanwhile, sources have provided TEAMtalk with an update on United striker Rasmus Hojlund amid claims Inter are hoping to land him.
Plus, we understand Inter are intensifying their efforts to sign a top Crystal Palace star.
But Liverpool are also keen on the 24-year-old and could scupper their plans.
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