Rashford opens door to Barcelona, but disappointment awaits

Manchester United attacker Marcus Rashford has publicly opened the door to a move to Barcelona, claiming that he would love to feature alongside teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal.

The England international is due back at Old Trafford this summer following the end of his loan spell with Aston Villa, where he came up with four goals and six assists in 17 matches for Unai Emery’s side.

Despite making a good impression on the ex-Arsenal boss, Rashford seemingly did not do enough for the Lions to activate the £40m option to buy in his contract, and he is preparing for the possibility of spending pre-season with the Red Devils.

However, the winger’s relationship with Ruben Amorim appears to be broken beyond repair, and he already admitted several months ago that he was pining for a new challenge away from his boyhood club.

Rashford’s exit from the Theatre of Dreams this summer is therefore thought to be a case of when rather than if, and Barcelona have often been mentioned as one of the leading contenders to prise him away from Man United.

Rashford drops major hint over possible Barcelona move

The Englishman has now dropped a major hint about his desire to represent the Catalan giants, having been asked by YouTuber xBuyer if he would like to play alongside Yamal in the future.

Rashford – who was holidaying in Marbella when the question was put to him – replied: “Yeah, sure. Everybody in the world wants to play with the best. So hopefully, we’ll see.

“It’s difficult to put into words what he’s doing because he’s not supposed to be doing it at 16, 17. He’s playing at the highest level, I don’t think we’ve seen it. To have his mentality is a skill.

Adding further fuel to the fire, Rashford added: “Spain is nice, it’s not too far from home. If I’m training over a long period, my family can come for a few days, it’s a nice location and good weather.”

The Red Devils academy product still has three years left to run on his contract at Man United, where he has contributed 138 goals and 77 assists from 426 appearances across all competitions.

Is Rashford to Barcelona a genuine possibility this summer?

In spite of Yamal and Raphinha’s extraordinary 2024-25 seasons, the left-wing slot appears to have been earmarked as a priority for La Blaugrana, as the latter attacker will turn 30 next year.

Rashford and Liverpool’s Luis Diaz have both been mentioned as prime targets for Barcelona, but that was before the La Liga champions made a breakthrough in their pursuit of Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams.

The Euro 2024 winner is expected to snub interest from Arsenal and Bayern Munich to sign for Hansi Flick’s side, whom he has agreed personal terms with on a long-term contract until 2031.

Athletic are supposedly still hoping that the deal will collapse, but all the signs are pointing towards Williams donning the Barcelona strip next season, likely scuppering Rashford’s chances of moving to Camp Nou.

Alternatively, the 27-year-old could try his hand at Serie A football, as one Italian giant has reportedly expressed an interest in signing him on loan before the September 1 deadline.

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