Marcus Rashford has made Barcelona his ‘priority’ but the La Liga giants are yet to give the Manchester United forward the green light to join, according to reports.
Man Utd academy graduate Rashford is considering a move away from the club, with AC Milan and Barcelona among the clubs showing strong interest.
He has not played for his boyhood club since December 12, missing their last seven matches, after falling down the pecking order under new head coach Ruben Amorim.
Asked on Sunday if Rashford has played his last match for the Red Devils, Amorim said: “I don’t know. We will see.
“He is a player for Manchester United. He loves this club but I have to make choices. It is what it is.”
There is plenty of interest from abroad but it is Barcelona that Rashford is ‘prioritising’, according to Spanish outlet Sport.
The report says that Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick ‘expected a response’ from the club’s hierarchy for ‘a definitive answer regarding the signing’.
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Rashford is expected to leave Man Utd on loan, not permanently, due to his huge wage demands, while the English club’s £50million asking price is not speeding up the process.
A loan benefits Barcelona as well and the Catalan club have identified the 27-year-old as ‘one of the main options to strengthen the squad in this winter market’.
Flick has ‘endorsed’ the signing of Rashford and Barca will continue to ‘follow his situation very closely’, even if the German boss is yet to receive an answer from his bosses.
It is claimed in the report that Flick ‘likes’ the England international and ‘tried’ to sign him when he was Bayern Munich manager.
Flick is a fan of Rashford’s ‘versatility’ but the club are not as convinced. The report adds:
From the club’s sporting area there is no unanimity around the figure of the Manchester United player, as there is a certain debate about whether he is the profile of striker that the team needs. In addition, the irregularity shown by Rashford throughout his career and some problems in his personal life also make the Barça entity doubtful, who are looking for a cash who can have an immediate return.
Rashford has been an unused substitute once since his last appearance over a month ago.
He most recently missed the penalty shootout victory over Arsenal in the FA Cup third round.
Man Utd are next in action on Thursday evening when they host Southampton, which should be a routine victory.
Given all the transfer speculation, it is very unlikely that Rashford will feature against the Saints.
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