Barcelona will reportedly lock horns with Real Madrid in pursuit of Marcus Rashford, who faces an uncertain future at Manchester United.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Real Madrid will need to fend off stiff competition from arch-rivals Barcelona to land Marcus Rashford in the summer transfer window. The English forward is considering his future at Manchester United after losing his spot as a regular starter.
Marcus Rashford had a stroke of good fortune to thank for getting fast-tracked into the Manchester United first-team squad over half a decade ago. With the Red Devils facing an injury crisis, the young forward got his chance to impress, doing exactly that in the second half of the 2015/16 season.
Since then, the 24-year-old has progressed considerably while becoming a key figure at Manchester United. But the 2021/22 has been a season to forget for Rashford, who has failed to regain momentum since returning from shoulder surgery. As a result, he has managed a paltry tally of five goals and two assists in 24 appearances across all competitions.
Rashford’s poor form has prompted Ralf Rangnick to leave him on the bench in recent games, largely utilising him as an impact substitute. That has not gone down well with Rashford, who is now considering his future at Manchester United. The English international’s delicate situation has not gone unnoticed, with Real Madrid and Barcelona keen on signing him.
The interest from Real Madrid stems from the uncertainties surrounding Eden Hazard’s future. The Belgian international is a shadow of the player he once was at Chelsea and has become a bit-part figure under Carlo Ancelotti. The Merengues are looking to offload Hazard in the summer, and his exit will create the need to bring in a replacement, bringing Rashford into the picture.
On the other hand, Barcelona might be targetting Rashford as they might continue making sweeping changes to the first-team squad in the summer. While the Blaugrana signed several attacking players in January, Memphis Depay faces an uncertain future at Camp Nou. Barcelona may well offset the departure of the former Manchester United forward with Rashford.
In addition to Barcelona and Real Madrid, Rashford is also a target for Paris Saint-Germain, who are targetting him as a possible replacement for Real Madrid target Kylian Mbappe. But Rashford leaving Manchester United is not set in stone, even though the race to sign him continues to heat up.