Manchester United have reportedly slapped a £150 million price tag on attacking superstar Marcus Rashford, amid interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona.
According to an exclusive report by Daily Express, Manchester United are aiming to ward off Barcelona and Real Madrid by demanding an amount that would result in a club record sale. The Premier League heavyweights have slapped a £150 million price tag on the Englishman in order to price the European giants out of a move for their young star.
Marcus Rashford lived the boyhood dream on his very first day as a Manchester United first-team player. Fast-tracked into the side due to an injury crisis, the then-teenager inspired the Red Devils to back-to-back wins, thanks to successive braces, and he has since been seen as a player who will be an integral part of the long-term plans at Old Trafford.
Over the last three years, the player has not been playing in his preferred position as a centre-forward all along. But, he has still managed to become a regular part of the Manchester United first-team setup, having already amassed 166 appearances for the club.
His progress though, has also attracted a number of top clubs and none more so than Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona. Both the clubs have reportedly been in the market for a striker ahead of the summer transfer window, as they look to lay down the succession plans for their current first-choice striker, Karim Benzema and Luis Suarez, respectively.
As a result, Rashford seems to be a viable target for both the clubs, as he would fit in the varying styles of play at both clubs, thanks to his technical prowess and pace. Manchester United though, are understandably unwilling to part ways with their promising youngster.
But, their bid to keep hold of the player has not been helped by the fact that his current deal has a little over a year left to run out. Reports of the 21-year-old being close to signing a bumper new contract have been running around for quite some time, but Manchester United do not seem any closer to securing his long-term future.
The Red Devils, however, seem to have found an ace up their sleeve, having slapped an astonishing £150 million price tag on Rashford, as per the report. And, the Express add that Barcelona are set to call off their pursuit of the English attacking superstar as they feel they can get better value for their money elsewhere.
It now remains to be seen if Real Madrid too are hesitant to shell out the aforementioned sum. If so, it could be possible that Manchester United will take a big step towards tying Rashford down to a new deal and it will be interesting to see if that indeed is the case.
