Manchester United superstar Marcus Rashford is reportedly believed to be open to joining Barcelona should an opportunity present itself.
According to a report from EFE, Barcelona have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford as he would welcome the chance to join the Catalan giants.
Rashford came through the ranks at Manchester United and made his first-team debut back in the 2015/16 campaign under then-manager Louis van Gaal. Having made a huge splash with his goalscoring exploits upon his breakthrough, the 24-year-old quickly became a regular in the side and has grown into a key part of the team under different managers, be it with Jose Mourinho or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Even though the ongoing campaign has been a frustrating one for Rashford, he looks set to continue to essay a key role under the tutelage of interim boss Ralf Rangnick, having started both the league games since the German took over the reins. To date, he has already racked up 283 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 91 goals and contributing 57 assists despite his relatively young age.
However, Rashford will be entering the final year of his contract with Manchester United at the end of the season. Although the English giants have the option of extending the deal by another year, clubs are starting to sniff around, with Barcelona believed to be one of the most interested parties in his services.
The Catalans are on the lookout for a top-quality addition to their attacking unit after losing Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann over the summer and recently seeing Sergio Aguero retire. Memphis Depay has failed to make the desired impact and looks toothless when playing through the middle, while Martin Braithwaite is seen as a backup option at best.
So, Barcelona are expected to bring in a new striker in January, with Rashford’s Manchester United teammate Edinson Cavani emerging as the top candidate to make the jump to Camp Nou. However, they will look to make a marquee signing in the summer, who can be the leader of the attack in the long run.
And, Rashford has now emerged as an option on the Blaugrana’s radar. Now, it is being claimed that the 24-year-old England forward would welcome the opportunity to join Barça due to the overloading of attacking options at Manchester United currently.
The signing of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho in the summer has affected the game-time of some of the forwards already at the club. The report states that Rashford hasn’t been best pleased with the situation and would be open to making the jump to Catalonia. Apart from Rashford, Barcelona also have their sights set on fellow academy graduate Mason Greenwood.
However, it remains to be seen if Barcelona’s financial situation is stable enough for them to go after a top star like Rashford in the summer.
