Barcelona stall on Marcus Rashford transfer to prioritise new striker
Barcelona have opted against immediately triggering their €30m option to buy Marcus Rashford from Manchester United as they prioritise signing a replacement for Robert Lewandowski.
The LaLiga champions had until 15 June to make the England forward’s loan move permanent.
However, the Catalan club have formally communicated they will not execute the clause at this stage.
The 26-year-old enjoyed a stellar campaign in Spain, registering 14 goals and 14 assists to help secure a second successive league title.
Striker search takes precedence
Despite his impressive form, the Spanish giants are directing their immediate financial resources towards a marquee centre-forward.
Replacing the departing Lewandowski is understood to be the absolute priority for the club’s hierarchy.
They recently committed up to €80m to sign winger Anthony Gordon, further squeezing their current transfer budget.
Once a new leading frontman is secured, officials at the Nou Camp may revisit a deal for the Manchester United academy graduate.
Old Trafford exit remains likely
A return to the Red Devils appears highly improbable after an 18-month absence that included a prior loan spell at Aston Villa.
The Manchester club remain eager to sell and are reportedly willing to negotiate a similar or slightly reduced fee later in the window.
The lightning-fast attacker has already agreed to a pay cut in order to facilitate a permanent departure from his boyhood team.
He is not the only high-profile player waiting on the Spanish champions this summer.
Outgoing Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva has also been offered to the club but must wait until their primary attacking targets are acquired.
Chelsea emerge as potential suitors
If a permanent move to Catalonia collapses, Stamford Bridge has been touted as a viable alternative destination.
Former Chelsea winger Joe Cole believes Xabi Alonso should target the forward to bolster his wide options in west London.
“Rashford ticks a lot of boxes, but you don’t want to spend a fortune on him – he’d do a good job for Chelsea.”
Speaking to Sun Sport, Cole added that the forward still has plenty of room to improve away from Manchester.
“He needs to keep his confidence up because he rebuilt himself at Barcelona, and there’s still another level for him to jump to.”
The coming weeks will dictate whether that next step is taken in Spain or back in the Premier League.
