Barcelona in talks with Man Utd over Marcus Rashford as they refuse £26m buy option

Barcelona have opened talks with Manchester United over Marcus Rashford's future but are unwilling to pay the £26 million buy option in his loan agreement, Goal reports.

The Catalan club have contacted United to try to negotiate a lower price or agree a second loan for 2026-27 that would include a mandatory purchase option, per talkSPORT, amid ongoing financial difficulties. Rashford has enjoyed his first season at Camp Nou, with seven goals and eight assists from 27 appearances, and helped Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-2 to win the Supercopa de España.

Manchester United would rather sell Rashford this summer, and it remains unclear if an agreement can be reached. Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has praised Rashford's professionalism when starting from the bench, and Rashford told Diario Sport that "staying at Barca" is his "ultimate goal" while he remains focused on winning trophies.

Financial constraints mean Barcelona could also target a new No. 9 in the summer — veteran Robert Lewandowski is out of contract and could leave — and the return to form of Raphinha may limit Rashford's game time. Barca will continue their Copa del Rey defence with a last-16 tie against Racing on Thursday, when Flick is expected to rotate his starting XI.

Key Topics

Sports, Marcus Rashford, Barcelona, Manchester United, Hansi Flick, Supercopa De España