According to reports, one proposed Manchester United transfer is off as a manager has ‘made the decision’ to ‘block’ his club from completing a deal.
The Red Devils are active in the transfer market as they need to make significant changes to their squad after finishing 15th in the Premier League in 2024/25.
Ruben Amorim‘s side were dealt a further blow at the end of the campaign as they lost in the Europa League final to Spurs, thus missing out on a trophy, Champions League qualification and a huge cash injection.
The Red Devils had to sell to buy in January and their recent on-field woes were expected to ensure this would also be the case this summer, but they have already invested £62.5m to sign Matheus Cunha, while they are looking to beat Tottenham in the race to sign Bryan Mbeumo.
With at least a striker and a goalkeeper also required, Man Utd could do with offloading some unwanted talents to raise funds, with Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony and Jadon Sancho among the contenders to leave.
Rashford is not part of Amorim’s plans after he announced his intention to leave Man Utd ahead of this year’s winter transfer window.
The England international butted heads with Amorim at the end of last year and joined Aston Villa on loan with an option to buy for around £40m.
Rashford returned to form at Villa Park, grabbing four goals and six assists in his 17 appearances in all competitions.
His resurgence has boosted his chances of securing a big move to a European giant this summer, with it widely reported that his ‘dream’ is to join Barcelona.
Their sporting director, Deco, has named Rashford and Luis Diaz as potential targets as they are looking to add cover in wide areas.
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Despite this, Barcelona have recently turned their attention to Nico Williams and have an ‘agreement’ on a contract amid competition from Bayern Munich.
Williams’ anticipated move to Barcelona had been expected to end Rashford’s hopes of joining Barcelona, but it has been suggested that this move was still on the cards with the La Liga champions impressed by his versatility.
Rashford has not won Hansi Flick over, though. A report in Spain claims the Barcelona boss has ‘stopped’ the signing as he has ‘made the decision’ to ‘block’ his arrival.
There is said to be one key reason for this stance, as he is unwilling to sanction an ‘unnecessary’ signing with Barcelona prioritising a new full-back. The report adds:
‘Flick’s main argument for blocking this move is the accumulation of attacking players. If Nico Williams’ arrival is confirmed as planned, Barça would have a more than adequate lineup of names in attack: Nico, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres, and Lewandowski.
‘In this context, adding Rashford would only increase competition in an already crowded area of the pitch, which could generate internal tensions and hinder the development of key players like Lamine and Ferran. Furthermore, Rashford’s own inconsistency in recent months raises doubts about his immediate fit with Flick’s proposed style.’
