Meetings ongoing: Man Utd man ‘desperate’ to complete £26m transfer ASAP as club haggle for lower fee

Marcus Rashford has his sights firmly set on being made a permanent Barcelona player this year.According to the iPaper, he is said to be ‘desperate’ to stay in Catalonia, with his future still not set in stone due to Manchester United including an option for Barcelona to sign him, as opposed to an obligation.That means he is having to thoroughly impress and be firing on all cylinders in order to ensure Hansi Flick and the Barcelona hierarchy deem him a worthwhile addition long-term. Appearances Goals Assists 27 7 11 *Rashford’s return in all competitions for the Blaugrana thus farBarcelona angling for cut-price Rashford fee(Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)Given their notorious financial woes, committing to a £26 million deal (Rashford’s buyout clause) isn’t a decision to be taken lightly at the Camp Nou.That’s why the Spanish giants have been in contact with United this month to try and haggle for a lower fee, as per Ben Jacobs.In fact, Barcelona even put forth the prospect of taking the forward on loan for another season throughout the 2026/2027 campaign, and adding a conditional obligation to sweeten the terms for United. Exclusive: Barcelona held a meeting this month with #MUFC to explore options for signing Marcus Rashford permanently. Barcelona prefer not to trigger the €30m buy option and instead sounded out #MUFC over a lower number and also floated the idea of a second loan with a… pic.twitter.com/ENCNDJGyrr — Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) January 13, 2026It’s unlikely United would be willing to facilitate such an agreement, as Rashford’s departure will generate pure profit for the club if he leaves in the summer, and therefore provide a sizeable PSR boost in time for the transfer window reopening at the end of the term.Rashford ready to bid farewell to United once and for all(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)Fans had also pondered whether the 28-year-old would look to revive his Red Devils career in the absence of Ruben Amorim.The only reason Rashford left in the first place was because of a breakdown in his relationship with the Portuguese coach, meaning he could, in theory, return to Old Trafford and reignite his tenure with his boyhood club.However, it’s not thought to be something that interests either Rashford or United at this stage; all parties are ready and willing to cut ties after over 20 years of him being on the books. Appearances Goals Assists 426 138 78 *Rashford’s complete record for United as a senior player