21 May 2026 08:06 BST |
5 min read
Barcelona are still attempting to make transfer progress on deals for Marcus Rashford and Alessandro Bastoni ahead of the window’s opening in June – but the Catalan club are finding it difficult to land their top targets.
The Blaugrana are trying to recruit in three positions this summer, with a centre-forward, a centre-back and a winger on their shortlist.
Having already given up on Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez because of the €100 million price tag placed on the Argentine attacker by their Primera Division rivals, Barca are still working on deals for Rashford and Bastoni, yet neither looks like it will come easily.
Barcelona still seeking Rashford solutions
Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano confirmed in the case of the on-loan Manchester United forward: “Behind the scenes, contacts involving Rashford’s agents, Manchester United and Barcelona are continuing.
“So the Rashford deal is still ongoing between Barcelona and Manchester United.
“Manchester United insist on receiving €30m. Barcelona want to find better conditions and avoid paying the €30m immediately, so they are trying to be more creative with the structure of the deal.
“That has been the situation over the last few months, but the contacts are still ongoing because Rashford’s desire is to go to Barcelona and stay at Barcelona.
“Rashford has been very clear, both publicly and privately. According to my information, Rashford has made it clear to everybody involved that he wants to continue at Barcelona.
“Obviously now it is important to see whether the two clubs can find an agreement, but discussions are continuing behind the scenes. So while things may look quiet in the media, the contacts are still taking place as all parties try to find a solution financially for both clubs and the player.
“Rashford has already said yes to Barcelona and agreed personal terms with the club.”
An indication of Rashford’s willingness to force through a move to Barca has been his willingness to renegotiate personal terms more favourably for the Catalan side, though his transfer fee still appears a critical sticking point as his loan from Old Trafford draws to a close.
Bastoni to Barcelona on the point of collapse
While talks with Rashford are ongoing, Romano confirmed that any move for Inter Milan centre-back Bastoni appears to be on the point of collapse. Again, the fee appears to be the issue for the €69.6m-rated player.
“Important to say that the Alessandro Bastoni deal is now completely frozen. My understanding is that the Bastoni deal could collapse quite soon because Inter are not selling the player for €45m or €50m,” Romano said.
“At the same time, Barcelona are not prepared to spend €70m on a defender while they still need to add a striker, maybe a winger and cover more positions in the squad.
“So at the moment there is a big gap between Barcelona and Inter on the valuation of the player.
“For that reason, the Bastoni to Barcelona deal is currently on standby and could collapse.”
What this means for Barcelona’s summer transfer plans
While Barcelona are facing up to the prospect of more transfer disappointment, it is important for the Camp Nou side that this comes early in the summer. A couple of ambitious deals have failed, but they still have more than three months to find suitable players and sign them. It may even be that the situation changes and they are able to bid for Bastoni or Alvarez again later in the window.
With Rashford, there is more urgency. If his €30m buyout clause from Manchester United is not triggered, the Premier League side will likely recall the England international and simply sell him elsewhere. Tottenham and Aston Villa are among the interested sides, and United would likely land a more lucrative transfer fee for the winger.
Barca have to plan their next moves carefully as they are going to be critical for shaping Hansi Flick’s squad for the 2026/27 season.
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