Catalan giants Barcelona are reportedly interested in signing the Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Barcelona have sounded out a possible move for the 2023 summer transfer window for Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford, with Xavi Hernandez is keeping tabs on him.
The 24-year-old has shown a lot of improvement under new manager Erik Ten Hag and has made an impressive start to the new season. Rashford scored five goals in the entirety of last season but has already netted three times for Manchester United in six appearances across all competitions thus far this term.
He has managed to establish himself as an important player for Manchester United, and it will be interesting to see if the Red Devils are prepared to let him leave at the end of the season. The report claims that the player will be out of contract in the summer of 2023, but Manchester United have an option to extend his deal for another season.
Manchester United can always exercise the clause and trigger the extension anytime they want to. It seems highly unlikely that they will let a player like Rashford leave on a free transfer, and Barcelona might thus need to fork out a sizeable fee to secure his services next summer.
Manchester United have been linked with a number of attackers themselves, and it will be interesting to see if they decide to reinforce the attacking department during the January transfer window or at the end of the season. Rashford will want regular game time, and if Manchester United cannot provide him with the necessary assurances, he might consider a move away.
Barcelona have already bolstered their attack considerably, but signing the England international would provide them with more options upfront. The Manchester United forward can operate in the wide areas as well as a number nine. His versatility will be an added bonus for Barcelona and Xavi, especially with Robert Lewandowski not having a natural striker as his deputy.
Meanwhile, Rashford is not the only Manchester United player on the radar of the Catalan club, and they are keeping tabs on the situation of Portuguese full-back Diogo Dalot as well. Rashford and Dalot have their best years ahead of them, and signing them at the end of the season could prove to be a wise decision for Barcelona in the long run.
