After missing out on Nico Williams, Barcelona are still interested in signing Marcus Rashford – but he is not their first choice transfer target.
It has long been known that Rashford has no future at Manchester United following a fall out with head coach Ruben Amorim last year.
The forward joined Aston Villa on loan for the second-half of last season but his future remains unclear after the Villans opted not to trigger the £40million buy-out clause in his contract.
Bayern Munich have been linked but the England international has spoken publicly about his desire to join Barcelona and play alongside wonderkid Lamine Yamal.
The feeling is somewhat mutual with the La Liga champions interested in Rashford as they pursue a new left-winger but their preference was Nico Williams, who has also been strongly linked with Arsenal.
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It seemed a transfer had been done for the Spain star only for Williams to shockingly sign a new 10-year contract with Athletic Bilbao on Friday.
As a result, the chances of Rashford moving to the Camp Nou have increased although it is thought Barcelona would prefer a loan deal for the forward.
The 27-year-old’s wages – around £325,000-a-week – have proven a sticking point but reports from Spain say that he has informed Barcelona that he will take a pay cut in order to secure a move.
However, the same reports say that Rashford is only seen as a ‘plan B’ for Hansi Flick’s side and that their ‘plan A’ after missing out on Williams is to sign Luis Diaz from Liverpool.
The Colombian has been frequently linked with a move away from Anfield this summer, with the Reds recently rejecting an approach from Bayern Munich.
Understandably, all transfer business involving Liverpool is now on hold as the club mourns the loss of Diogo Jota who, alongside his brother Andre Silva, was killed in a car crash in Spain on Thursday.
While not wanted at Old Trafford, Rashford will return to Carrington for pre-season training next week and is expected to go on the club’s summer tour of the USA, according The Telegraph.
It is said the player has no issue with doing this, with United taking on Leeds in Stockholm on July 19 before jetting off to America.
It remains to be seen what the pre-season plans for United’s other outcast stars – Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia – are.
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