Journo: All parties ‘intend’ to finalise £26m Man United deal in 2026 for ‘standout’ forward

Barcelona are already setting their sights on making Marcus Rashford’s transfer permanent upon the culmination of his loan spell.While it won’t come as too much of a surprise, given the forward’s scintillating form, there were doubts over whether the deal would materialise based on Barcelona’s precarious financial situation.Yet, the fact that United set his buy option at a measly £26 million means Rashford’s prospective arrival wouldn’t be particularly difficult to facilitate, and, if he maintains the same level of performance from now until the summer, he could well prove to be worth every penny.How Rashford is faring over in Spain (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)In his opening 16 appearances for the Catalan giants, he has returned a hugely impressive six goals and nine assists. Nine of those contributions (two goals and seven assists) have come in his first 12 La Liga outings, whilst the remaining four goals and two assists were notched in Barcelona’s opening four Champions League games. Marcus Rashford is the most involved FC Barcelona player so far this season.🔥 pic.twitter.com/W6fXdd6Iul — LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) November 18, 2025Such showings on the European stage have been deemed ‘stand out’ by iPaper journalist Pete Hall, who adds that the Blaugrana ‘intend’ to sign the 28-year-old permanently in 2026.Rashford preparing to bid farewell to United (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)Alas, it means Rashford will be pulling the curtains on his United tenure after 21 years.He joined the academy at just seven years old, and will leave with a tremendous record of 138 goals and 78 assists in a whopping 426 appearances since making his debut in 2016.What’s more, the Wythenshawe-born Red currently ranks 13th in United’s highest goalscorers list. He has lifted two FA Cups, two League Cups and a Europa League title with his boyhood club.When joining Barcelona, he became the first Englishman to represent the side since footballing legend Gary Lineker.Read more: From Spain – Marcus Rashford’s permanent Barcelona move in jeopardy unless he accepts major board request