From Spain: ‘Already working on’ – La Liga giants add ‘unstoppable’ Man Utd star to five-man summer shortlist

Stretty News

·19 febbraio 2025

From Spain: ‘Already working on’ – La Liga giants add ‘unstoppable’ Man Utd star to five-man summer shortlist

Aware of his longstanding desire to join the club, Barcelona are mulling over a summer swoop for Marcus Rashford.

The Manchester United graduate was heavily linked with Barcelona prior to his late winter loan switch to Aston Villa, with the Blaugrana ultimately unable to materialise their interest due to their precarious financial situation and lengthy wage list.

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When his departure was finalised, it was revealed that United and Villa agreed a £40 million buy option, which can be activated upon the culmination of the term – though whether or not Rashford himself will green-light a permanent transfer to the Midlands outfit remains to be seen.

Per Spanish outlet Fichajes, the La Liga leaders are ‘already working on’ a summer move to find a winger ‘who can compete and rotate with Raphinha’. The ex-Leeds United talisman is enjoying a prolific term on all fronts, notching 39 goal contributions – 24 goals and 15 assists – thus far.

Barcelona add Rashford to five-man summer shortlist

Rashford made his debut during Villa’s 2-1 win over Tottenham on February 9. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Joining Rashford on Hansi Flick and the Barcelona board’s shortlist are fellow Premier League talents Luis Diaz and Jeremy Doku, as well as Atheltic Bilbao’s Nico Williams and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens of Borussia Dortmund.

However, of the quintet, it’s thought that Rashford ranks lower in the list than he’d hope. Diaz is considered ‘one of the names the club likes the most’, Bynoe-Gittens is ‘the youngest and most promising player’, and Williams has been deemed ‘Barcelona’s big wish’.

What Rashford does have in his favour, however, is that ‘he has expressed his interest’ in playing for the side and is almost certainly on his way out of Old Trafford this year.

The ‘unstoppable’ 27-year-old, who joined United aged seven, is in line to make his maiden start for Villa this evening when they host Liverpool in a 7.30pm kick-off. Even though he’s no longer wearing the red of his boyhood team, the desire to perform against his arch-rivals – and perhaps even dent their title hopes in the process – will be as fiery as ever.