Romano: Confirmed – All parties ready for Man Utd to complete £26m deal, negotiations to begin imminently

Barcelona intend to activate Marcus Rashford’s buy option before the end of the campaign, according to numerous reports.The news was first reported by Spanish journalist Alfredo Martinez on Friday evening, after which Fabrizio Romano verified Barcelona’s desire to sign the forward permanently.His camp has been informed, and negotiations are now expected to start imminently with Manchester United, whose financial situation will be boosted by the sale, given Rashford is an academy graduate and will therefore generate pure profit when he is sold. Barcelona have told Marcus Rashford’s camp they want to keep him beyond June 2026. Negotiations with #mufc will begin soon, with a €30m buy option in place. Rashford is happy at Barca [@FabrizioRomano] — utdreport (@utdreport) January 9, 2026Why Barcelona are set on making Rashford’s transfer permanent(Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)It’s no surprise the Blaugrana are keen to keep hold of United’s former No.10 – even amidst their ever-precarious and complex monetary issues.Rashford hit the ground running in a Barcelona shirt since he first made the move. In September/early October, he oversaw a run in which he returned five goal contributions (four assists and one goal) in five successive league matches.His record in La Liga now stands at two goals and eight assists in 18 outings, while, in the Champions League, the 28-year-old has been firing on all cylinders, notching a hugely impressive four goals and three assists in six games.Rashford ready to bid farewell to United after 20+ years (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)When Ruben Amorim was relieved of his duties at Old Trafford on Monday, it prompted some speculation that Rashford could revive his Red Devils career in the event Barcelona opted against signing him.The only reason that he left in the first place was due to a breakdown in his relationship with Amorim, leading to the player being exiled for around a month before he was shipped out on loan to Aston Villa last January.Yet, all parties are now preparing to close Rashford’s chapter with his boyhood club once and for all.He joined United at just seven years of age and will leave with a stellar record of 138 goals and 79 assists to his name in 426 appearances.