Updated: 25 Apr 2026 14:55 BST |
4 min read
Marcus Rashford’s hopes of completing a permanent move to Barcelona have been dashed, with the Primera Division side having decided to end the England international’s stay at the club.
Rashford moved to Barcelona last summer having been frozen out of Ruben Amorim’s plans at Old Trafford.
He has impressed with the Catalan side, but according to Sport, the decision has been made that he will not be retained, despite a bargain buy-out clause of just €30 million in his contract.
Why is Rashford leaving Barcelona?
The decision to end Rashford’s relationship with Barcelona is one that has come from the club, despite a verbal agreement having previously been made over a long-term contract.
There are two main reasons for Barca making a U-turn.
Rashford’s form has not been what it was. He had scored 10 goals up until January but has since netted only two. In particular, the recent triple-header with Atletico Madrid was seen as the stage upon which he needed to prove himself.
He scored one goal across the three games but was notably dropped from the starting XI for the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final in the first real sign that head coach Hansi Flick had started to move on from him. Fermin Lopez was preferred on the right.
The second, and greater, issue relates to the financial aspect of the deal. Although the buy clause is set to €30m, significantly below Rashford’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €38.5m, the Blaugrana are struggling to justify the wages of the player.
Under significant Financial Fair Play (FFP) constraints, the Catalans have decided to prioritise a left-footed centre-back and a centre-forward.
What now for Rashford?
The situation for Rashford at Manchester United has improved since Amorim’s departure, although without a permanent manager in place at Old Trafford, it’s hard to say what the attitude will be in terms of welcoming him back into the fold.
Interim boss Michael Carrick, who appears likely to get the job on a permanent basis, has opened the door for Rashford to return, though.
“There’s decisions to be made on certain things, and obviously Marcus is in that situation,” Carrick said.
“But at this point in time, nothing’s been decided. It will be, because it has to be at a certain point, but at this stage, there’s nothing to say.
“Whoever’s here, I want to work with, and help them improve.
“At the moment, it’s this squad of players. There’s obviously players on loan, and whatever happens with that later on will happen. But certainly, as a coach, and leader of a squad, we want to get the best out of everyone.”
Transfer options are likely to materialise as the summer approaches, meanwhile. United are open to selling him, and are likely to earn a sum greater than the €30m they would have recouped from Barcelona.
Sport reports that Tottenham are heavily interested in signing the winger, though any such deal will necessarily rely on the London side avoiding relegation from the Premier League – something that is far from certain.
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