Manchester United have reportedly warned Barcelona they will not lower their demands to sell forward Marcus Rashford this summer.
Rashford spent the second half of last season impressing on loan with Aston Villa, who have the option to sign him permanently for £40 million (€47.5 million, $53.9 million). While the Villans’ final decision has not yet been confirmed, they are not expected to take up that option.
A return to United is highly unlikely, meaning Rashford is expected to depart for pastures new in the coming weeks. Barcelona are long-term admirers and have not hidden their interest in a possible summer transfer.
United’s financial demands are thought to be a problem for Barcelona, who are looking at possible alternatives if they fail to convince the Red Devils to soften their stance. A loan move would be Barcelona’s preferred avenue to explore.
SPORT, however, claim United are not prepared to budge and have warned Barcelona that Rashford will not be sold unless a team meets their demands, reported as €40 million (£33.7 million, $45.4 million) in this latest update.
So far, Barcelona have not reached that figure. They have reportedly proposed a loan with an option to buy, even offering a mandatory purchase clause at a lower fee, but United have not yet shown any willingness to negotiate.
Rashford, for his part, is said to be willing to lower his salary demands to help force through a move to Barcelona, but little progress has been made due to the slow negotiations with United.
Sky Sports Switzerland state Barcelona are looking to “accelerate” their push for Rashford, with this latest report even dropping the asking price as low as €35 million (£29.5 million, $39.7 million).
Also under consideration at Barcelona are Liverpool’s Luis Díaz—previously described as a “priority” target—and Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli. There have been speculative suggestions of a move for Rafael Leão of AC Milan, although the Serie A winger is a leading target for Bayern Munich.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man Utd ‘Take Firm Stance’ Over Barcelona’s Marcus Rashford Interest.
