Agreed Man Utd transfer sledgehammered as better option found at rival club | OneFootball

An agreed Manchester United transfer could have taken yet another hit, as a better option to the subject of the deal might have been found at one of their rivals.

United are gearing up for a big summer of inbound transfers. It’s known that at least one midfielder is wanted, with Casemiro on the way out, and the types of players they are looking at are not going to come cheap.

As a result, they are first hoping to get rid of some players from their squad. Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund are both out on loan and expected to be on their way out of the door permanently.

That said, there are complications with Rashford’s transfer. There have been multiple reports suggesting Barcelona want to change the terms of the move – amid a £26million option to buy – and as per the latest, they could do away with it entirely.

Indeed, Mundo Deportivo reports Rashford is not ‘fully established’ at Barcelona and he ‘must earn his place’ in the final stretch of the season.

After 23 direct goal contributions this season, that doesn’t seem a challenge, but the report also suggests that Chelsea’s Pedro Neto is in Barca’s sights.

The suggestion being that should Rashford not live up to expectation through the back end of the season, Neto might be preferred, after receiving ‘very positive technical reports’ and with the club feeling he would ‘significantly improve’ the attack.

Barca continue to change tact

Agreeing to the £26million option with United suggested Barcelona were happy to pay that for Rashford, but since then they have continually tried to alter things.

A recent report suggested that at the end of the season, they essentially want a repeat of the same transfer – another loan with another £26million option.

United won’t agree to that, as they are adamant about getting Rashford off the books in the coming summer.

That Barca keep trying to make the deal cheaper for themselves suggests signing Neto, who is surely worth more than the £50million he was signed for in 2024, will be impossible.

The forward has been in good form of late and Chelsea won’t let him go cheaply.

Man Utd round-up: Hojlund transfer confirmed

Napoli have confirmed that whatever happens between now and the end of the season, they will be making Rasmus Hojlund’s loan permanent.

Director Giovanni Manna said: “There are no doubts. Rasmus Hojlund will stay here. We have an obligation to buy from Man Utd, if Napoli qualify for Champions League, but he is in our plans despite this condition.”

Meanwhile, though United are hopeful Elliot Anderson could come through the door in the summer, TEAMtalk is aware Newcastle are planning to rival them, drawing up an attempt to re-sign their former star if one or both of Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali leave.