Barcelona sends Rashford back to MU after refusing to buy him outright

Spanish press sources indicate that Barcelona is returning Marcus Rashford to MU, meaning he won't feature for the team in the upcoming campaign.

The 28-year-old English striker had a clause in his loan contract with the Catalan club allowing a permanent transfer for just £26 million, but they are not prepared to pay that amount.

Instead, Barcelona has recruited Anthony Gordon (25), Rashford's England teammate, from Newcastle United for £70 million. The exorbitant wages of the MU star are believed to be the main reason the cost of this deal became too high.

Marca reports that Gordon was chosen over Rashford due to his superior defensive support, which is considered the "biggest weakness" of the MU forward, along with being three years younger.

Earlier, Barcelona informed MU that they only wanted to pay half of the proposed fee, i.e., a £13 million deal, which the Premier League club flatly rejected.

Last season, Rashford scored 14 goals and provided 14 assists in just 26 starts for the Catalan club, helping them win La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup.

Right after news about his future leaked, Rashford immediately removed all Barcelona-related information from his biography on his Instagram and X (Twitter) social media accounts.

The current Spanish champions have also sent a free transfer offer to Bernardo Silva from Manchester City. At the same time, they are ready to pay Atletico Madrid over £100 million to acquire Julian Alvarez as a replacement for Robert Lewandowski in the center-forward position.

Barcelona's attack currently boasts many other quality options, including Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Ferran Torres, and Fermin Lopez.

Rashford himself had prioritized a return to the Camp Nou. However, the collapse of the deal will allow MU to freely negotiate with other clubs. The Red Devils hope the player will have an explosive World Cup with England to boost his transfer value.

Arsenal, Tottenham, and Aston Villa—the club that loaned Rashford in the second half of last season—are reportedly interested in bringing him back to the Premier League.

Additionally, Real Madrid, along with Bayern Munich and Chelsea, could also become potential next destinations.

Nevertheless, his salary of up to £315,000 per week, combined with his age (he will turn 29 in October), are major obstacles working against Rashford.

He may have to accept a pay cut or negotiate a contract compensation package from United to leave Old Trafford smoothly. The last time Rashford played for his boyhood club was in December 2024.

If MU cannot find a new club for Rashford before he joins the squad for pre-season preparations (after the World Cup), the striker will be forced to return to the Carrington training center.

Last summer, Rashford was placed in the "clearout group" along with Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony, and Tyrell Malacia. It remains unclear how MU will handle Rashford's situation.

Goalkeeper Andre Onana finds himself in a similar situation after a loan spell at Trabzonspor, where he just helped the club win the Turkish Cup.

The Cameroon star has no future at MU after his position was taken over by Senne Lammens, who was voted the Premier League's Signing of the Season last Monday. However, Onana is ready to return for training next month if his future is not fully resolved.

Trabzonspor wants to keep him, and another loan deal is entirely possible.

Of course, MU still prefers a permanent sale, but they are unlikely to recover more than half of the £47.2 million they once paid Inter Milan, especially after they priced Onana at £30 million for Monaco last summer.