Rashford's chances of joining Barcelona takes massive swing as deal falls through

Marcus Rashford’s chances of joining Barcelona took a major step forward today after another deal fell through for the Catalan side.

The 27-year-old forward, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, is expected to leave Old Trafford permanently this summer as United look to overhaul their squad under manager Ruben Amorim.

Rashford’s loan spell at Villa saw glimpses of his attacking quality, with four goals and six assists in 17 games, but a hamstring injury and inconsistency meant Villa declined to trigger their £40 million buy option.

Now back at United but not in Amorim’s plans, Rashford and his representatives are actively seeking a move abroad, with Barcelona his preferred destination.

Barcelona’s renewed interest comes after their attempts to sign Athletic Club’s Nico Williams fell through today with the winger signing a new deal with his current club.

A move for Liverpool’s Luis Diaz has also failed for the Spanish club, reports Sport.

With those options off the table, Rashford has become Barcelona’s top target for the left wing.

Rashford’s agent, Dwaine Maynard, was recently spotted in Spain holding talks with Barcelona sporting director Deco, fueling speculation that a deal could be on the cards.

United are holding out for a £40 million fee but may consider a loan or swap deal if a permanent transfer cannot be secured.

Reports in Spain suggest that Barcelona could offer players such as Fermin Lopez or Ronald Araujo as part of the negotiations.

Rashford, who is open to taking a pay cut to make the move happen, has expressed enthusiasm about the prospect of joining Barcelona and playing alongside emerging stars like Lamine Yamal.

“Everybody in the world wants to play with the best. So hopefully, we’ll see,” Rashford commented when asked about a potential switch.

Selling Rashford would help United fund further signings as they continue their summer rebuild, with the club already securing Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo and targeting Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres.

As the transfer window heats up, Rashford’s future promises to be one of the summer’s most closely watched stories.