Rashford closing in on Barcelona move: reports
The Spanish champions have reportedly been his preferred destination since he was dropped by United manager Ruben Amorim.
Britain's Press Association said talks were progressing on a deal to take Rashford to Barcelona, with a season-long loan including an option to buy being worked on.
Rashford is among five players to have informed United they wish to explore a future away from Old Trafford, where he came through the academy and scored 138 goals in 426 first-team appearances.
The England international admitted he was "ready for a new challenge" in December and last month revealed he would like to play alongside Barcelona's teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal.
Rashford has trained away from Amorim's first-team squad since pre-season began.
Barcelona sporting director Deco said in May that he liked Rashford and head coach Hansi Flick described the forward as a "fantastic player".
Rashford does not have a squad number at United having lost the 10 shirt to Brazil forward Matheus Cunha, who arrived at Old Trafford during the current transfer window along with left-back Diego Leon.
Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo is expected to join them after United finally struck a deal with Brentford worth an initial £65 million ($87 million).
United will likely have to fund any further deals through departures.
Even if Rashford were to leave initially on loan, the savings on the wage bill would be significant.
Barcelona had looked set to sign Spain winger Nico Williams but the 23-year-old recently signed a new 10-year contract at Athletic Bilbao.
The Catalan giants won a league and cup double last season -- Flick's first campaign at the club.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Newcastle cult hero 'Nobby' Solano appointed Pakistan coach
Solano, 50, who also played for Aston Villa and West Ham United in the English Premier League before retiring in 2012, was an assistant coach for his country Peru when they qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. "We have hired the services of Solano with a hope that he will bring more energy and zest to the national players and lift our standings at the international level," the Pakistan Football Federation president, Mohsen Gilani, said in a statement. The cricket-obsessed nation has reached the second round of Asian qualifying for the FIFA World Cup only once. Pakistan are 201st of 210 teams the in FIFA world men's team rankings, and have sought to improve standards by inducting players of Pakistan heritage based in the UK. Pakistan football has suffered badly from political parties fighting over control of the federation, which receives a large annual grant from world governing body FIFA. The federation was for 10 years run by a FIFA-appointed committee and earlier this year briefly suspended for political interference ahead of elections in May. FIFA in 2021 banned Pakistan from playing international matches for 15 months, also for political interference in the federation. Solano's first task will be with the under-23s men's team, who are due to face Cambodia, Iraq and Oman in September in qualifying for the U23 Asian Cup next year. Solano's first matches in charge of the senior team will be a double-header against Afghanistan in 2027 Asian Cup qualifying in October. Pakistan kicked off their campaign with a 2-0 away defeat to Syria in March and a 1-0 loss to Myanmar in Yangon last month.
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Former England star Gascoigne released from hospital
The 58-year-old, who lives in Poole, on England's south coast, was admitted to intensive care on Friday after being found semi-conscious by a friend. However, his management company has confirmed he has now been discharged. "Paul voluntarily went into A&E (Accident and Emergency) on Friday after struggling with a throat condition (not by ambulance) he has had for a while," said a statement from the MNT Agency. "He is already back home and doing well." Gascoigne, who won 57 caps for his country, was discovered by Steve Foster, who works as his driver and personal assistant. He was treated by intensive care staff and later moved to an acute medical unit, where his condition was said to be stable, and he has since been released. One of the most naturally gifted footballers of his generation, Gascoigne played for Newcastle, Tottenham, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough and Everton. He became a global star after his eye-catching performances at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, where England reached the semi-finals, and he also impressed at Euro 96. The midfielder's issues with alcohol addiction and depression are well-documented and he has suffered a series of health problems in recent years. In 2020, Gascoigne said he had turned his life around after having anti-alcohol pellets sewn into his stomach. But last year, he admitted on the High Performance podcast that he was a "sad drunk" living in a spare room at the home of his agent.
France 24
4 hours ago
- France 24
China's top football body to form esports team after World Cup flop
The new national esports football team will compete in "events organised by FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation and other organisations", the Chinese Football Association (CFA) said. The CFA last month sacked national coach Branko Ivankovic after a 1-0 defeat to Indonesia, a result that effectively dashed China's hopes of qualifying for the World Cup. But while China languish at 94th in FIFA's world rankings, two places below tiny Luxembourg to the dismay of their vast fanbase, the country's esports sector is booming. In 2024, the industry boasted approximately 490 million users, generated $38.5 billion in annual revenue and hosted 124 esports competitions. At the 2023 Asian Games, China's esports team secured four out of five gold medals. The CFA's foray into esports sparked mixed reactions among Chinese football fans. "I think this might actually work," one Weibo user said. "We have quite a considerable esports player base in our country, and the talent selection is relatively fair," he said. Others were less optimistic. © 2025 AFP
