Marcus Rashford is said to be willing to take a pay cut to facilitate a transfer to Barcelona as he seeks a Manchester United exit this summer, according to reports in Spain.
The England international has spent the second half of the current campaign on loan at Aston Villa after falling out of favour under United’s incoming boss Ruben Amorim. Rashford has impressed in claret and blue, directly contributing to nine goals while making 10 starts before a hamstring injury prematurely ended his involvement this season.
Villa are thought to have a £40 million ($53.1 million) buy-option in the loan deal they agreed with United in February, although recent reports have claimed that the Red Devils would accept a bid of that value from any club.
Rashford’s favoured destination is widely reported to be Barcelona and SPORT claim that the 27-year-old forward would even accept a pay cut to join the cash-strapped Catalan giants.
This sacrifice is said to only be extended to Barcelona. If any other club wants to secure Rashford’s services, they would reportedly have to match the wages he is currently on at United, which are thought to be in excess of £300,000 ($398,000) per week.
A soft stance on his salary is just the latest measure Rashford has reportedly taken in search of securing a move to Barcelona. The Manchester United academy graduate is said to have enlisted the services of so-called ‘super agent’ Pini Zahavi, who supposedly boasts a strong relationship with the Catalan club. The revered representative also manages the interests of Neymar, David Alaba and Barcelona frontman Robert Lewandowski.
It still remains to be seen whether Barcelona can afford Rashford even at a reduced wage.
The freshly crowned La Liga champions have been riddled with financial issues for years. This season alone, it took the intervention of the Spanish government to secure a playing registration for Dani Olmo and Pau Victor after the pair’s wages pushed Barcelona above La Liga’s salary cap.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Marcus Rashford ‘Willing’ to Make Sacrifice for Man Utd Exit.
