Barcelona step up pursuit of summer deal for Marcus Rashford

Barcelona have been left scrambling after Nico Williams’ decision not to join, instead signing a new contract with Athletic Club. They are back to square one in regards to seeking a new left winger, with one of their targets being Marcus Rashford.

Rashford is one of two leading targets that Barcelona have for the left wing position, and the advantage he has over Luis Diaz is that he is absolutely desperate to make the move to Catalonia this summer. He appears to have no future at Manchester United, which will also make a deal easier for the La Liga champions.

And as a result, Barcelona are now taking steps towards doing a deal for Rashford, with Santi Aouna (via CaughtOffside) reporting that talks are to be held with Man United as early as next week.

Barcelona want to sign Rashford on loan

Barcelona were willing to pay €62m for Williams, but due to their well-documented financial problems, they would prefer not to save a lucrative amount on a new signing. And they could avoid this with Rashford, whom they hope to bring in on loan with an option to buy, rather than an obligation.

The advantage for Barcelona in this situation is that Rashford is wholeheartedly prioritising a move to the Spotify Camp Nou, despite having interest from a number of top clubs across Europe – including Bayern Munich. This also means that Man United are at a disadvantage in their efforts to offload the 27-year-old, who is one of their highest earners.

It remains to be seen whether Rashford does make the move to Barcelona this summer. The intention of sporting director Deco is still to prioritise Diaz, but a deal for him with Liverpool is much more complicated. And that is another advantage that the Man United man has.