‘Absolute robbery’: Ferdinand reacts to reports he’s hearing out of Man Utd over ‘steal’ of a deal

Rio Ferdinand believes Barcelona will be getting one of the bargains of the transfer window if they sign Marcus Rashford this summer.The Catalan giants have the option of making his move permanent at the end of the season for just £26 million.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYUnited outline firm stance in Rashford talksHowever, it’s thought they’re unwilling to even shell out the fee.Reports have suggested that Barcelona would like to take Rashford on loan for another campaign or negotiate a lower price tag.They won’t get much joy with either option, though, as Manchester United are completely closed off to both.The Red Devils have made it clear they will only facilitate Rashford’s departure if their demands are met. Otherwise, they’re happy for him to return to Carrington at the end of the term in order for INEOS chiefs to find an alternative suitor for him.Rashford enjoying a new lease of life in CataloniaIn the meantime, the 28-year-old added to his account for the Blaugrana in their crunch La Liga clash away to Atletico Madrid on Saturday night, scoring an equaliser in the first half before Robert Lewandowski secured the win in the closing stages. Appearances (starts) Goals Assists 40 (22) 11 12 (Rashford’s record in all competitions for Barcelona)The victory meant that Barcelona extended their gap atop the table to seven points over second-placed Real Madrid.Hansi Flick’s side host Atleti this evening in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, so Rashford will be aiming to replicate his stellar display on the European stage, where he’s excelled throughout the season. Appearances (starts) Goal Assists Minutes played 9 (4) 5 4 484 (Rashford’s record in the Champions League for Barcelona)What did Ferdinand have to say about Rashford and Barcelona?When weighing in on the United graduate’s potential permanent switch to Camp Nou, Ferdinand said (as cited by Manchester Evening News): “If Barcelona get him for the reported £26m that we’re talking about, and they get that version of Marcus Rashford (who scored vs Atletico), that is an absolute robbery, it’s a steal.“So, as I said, I’ll just say good luck to him, I want him to do well, you know what I mean? Because I’ve seen him grow as a young player at Man United, and good luck to him in that sense.”