United star ready to snub Barcelona and join Real Madrid in surprise move, Florentino Perez is confident – report

Barcelona’s decision to place their trust in Manchester United academy product Marcus Rashford has proven to be successful so far. Rashford has scored six goals and registered 11 assists in 22 appearances across all competitions, having rediscovered his confidence in the final third under Hansi Flick. The Englishman is currently on a season-long loan at Camp Nou and the Blaugrana have an option to buy him permanently next summer. Heading into the January transfer window, Barca are allegedly eyeing a move for another United academy graduate.  Barcelona enter race to sign Kobbie Mainoo Marcus Rashford had to leave United after a fallout with Ruben Amorim last year. While that is not the case with Kobbie Mainoo, it is clear that the Portuguese tactician doesn’t consider the midfielder suitable for his system. The dynamic midfielder, who started in the Euro 2024 final for England, is still waiting for his first Premier League start this term. According to Defensa Central, United have opened the door for Mainoo to leave in January. Both Barcelona and Real Madrid are interested in the 20-year-old, as they supposedly value his physicality and excellent ball control in tight spaces. Real Madrid are in the driving seat for Mainoo It is claimed Barcelona president Joan Laporta is keen to lure Mainoo to Camp Nou. The Catalan giants want to strengthen their midfield options, as Gavi is sidelined with a knee injury. However, Real chief Florentino Perez is thought to be “calm”. Los Blancos are confident their fierce rivals are no match for them in the transfer market.  The Spanish outlet adds that the United youngster prefers to move to Santiago Bernabeu. However, Real will need to act swiftly, as a number of Serie A clubs, including Napoli, have already made enquiries to sign Mainoo. Featured image Shaun Botterill 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 Vishal Singh Vishal has worked in the football media industry for over six years, planning, writing, and editing content for several major outlets, including North Star Network. Vishal has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Delhi University. Currently a writer at The Peoples Person, he covers Manchester United — a club he has been religiously following and supporting since 2012. Vishal also manages a leading MUFC fan page, The Red Devils, on Facebook with over a million likes. Big fan of ball-playing centre-backs and Harry Maguire’s knee-slide celebration!