CL giants ready to pay United’s asking price for superstar, but one stumbling block remains – report

With plans to strengthen all areas of the pitch, Manchester United need to be ruthless when it comes to player sales this summer. This is especially true when it comes to players who spent last season on loan. So far, only Rasmus Hojlund has agreed to join Napoli on a permanent basis. Both Andre Onana and Marcus Rashford have yet to find a permanent home and there are murmurs that the duo could return to Manchester for pre-season. This is a scenario Michael Carrick will be keen to avoid, which explains why INEOS changed their stance regarding the Mancunian. Barcelona employing all sorts of tricks Barcelona had the option of turning the Englishman‘s loan into a permanent move for a mere £26 million, a negligible fee considering the impact he had on the pitch as the Catalans clinched the La Liga title. However, the Camp Nou outfit have been dilly-dallying over paying the fee, asking for another loan extension or for the Red Devils to reduce their asking price. Initially, INEOS stood firm, but with the entry of multiple Premier League sides in the race and the very real fear of Barcelona moving on, they have taken a U-turn and are now open to a cut-price sale. Bayern Munich are looking for a left-winger, which will be music to United’s ears, and while the Bavarian giants are open to paying the England international’s asking price, they are in no position to pay his full wages. Bayern Munich ready to pay on one condition According to CF Bayern Insider, “It’s very interesting that the Marcus Rashford to Bayern rumours are up and running again! When I spoke to Bayern previously, weeks before, there was always a NOT TRUE on Marcus Rashford. “However, there was the idea of signing Anthony Gordon, but the ex-Newcastle star is now at Barcelona, and so Rashford could now be on the market. I think for Bayern, it wouldn’t be a problem to pay the stated price tag of €40m [£34.5m], which Barcelona don’t appear to be able to pay all at once. “For Bayern, this would be no problem. But the one big problem is the high salary, as FC Bayern doesn’t want to be forking out a big wage for a backup signing. The name is interesting, but let’s see what happens with the other candidates.” Marcus Rashford now has a choice to make Marcus Rashford is desperate to stay in Spain, and will be hoping for a memorable World Cup to change Barcelona’s mind. If he can agree to reduce his wage demands for Barcelona, he could do the same for Bayern, and the ball is in his court. As for United, they will be hoping for more European teams to join the fray so as to put pressure on Barca so that they can earn a higher fee while also getting rid of his extreme wages. Feature image Alex Caparros via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25