Barcelona’s pursuit of Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford may hinge on offloading Ansu Fati this summer, according to reports.
Rashford was previously on Barcelona’s radar during the January transfer window amid uncertainty over his Manchester United future. However, the financial demands of a loan move proved too steep, and the England international instead joined Aston Villa on a temporary deal that includes a £40 million option to buy.
Although Villa have yet to decide whether to activate that clause, Rashford is now reportedly keen to explore a potential transfer to Barcelona instead. Earlier this month, it was revealed that Rashford had partnered with super-agent Pini Zahavi—who has close ties with Barca president Joan Laporta—to help facilitate a move.
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According to Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona are closely monitoring Rashford’s situation, especially if Villa fail to qualify for the Champions League and opt against a permanent transfer. New manager Hansi Flick, who is also represented by Zahavi, is said to admire Rashford’s style and versatility—sentiments echoed by sporting director Deco.
However, Barcelona’s ability to make a move depends on their financial flexibility, which is currently limited. The club was unable to pursue Rashford in January due to their failure to convince Ansu Fati to leave and free up wages.
Fati, who has made just 11 appearances this season totaling under 300 minutes, was reluctant to leave mid-season, despite his £200,000-per-week salary being a financial burden for the club. Now, with Flick making it clear that Fati is not a key part of his plans, the 21-year-old is reportedly more open to a summer departure.
If Barcelona can successfully move Fati, they would be in a better position to negotiate for Rashford. While the Englishman currently earns over £325,000 a week at United, he is said to be willing to take a significant pay cut to make the move to Camp Nou happen.
The main challenge for Barcelona may lie not with Rashford, but with Manchester United. The Red Devils are believed to prefer a permanent sale and could demand as much as £60 million—should Villa pass on their option—posing a serious obstacle for the cash-strapped Catalan giants.
