Barcelona make final call on €30m Marcus Rashford transfer as Flick’s ‘impossible’ claims are made clear | OneFootball

Barcelona have decided they will trigger their buy option for Marcus Rashford this summer, with a lucrative three-year deal to soon be put on the table – and TEAMtalk understands that Manchester United now plan to put the funds towards signing a jaw-dropping replacement.

The 28-year-old has found a new lease of life in Catalonia, having made a dream transfer to the Nou Camp back in the summer. Signing on a season’s loan with the incentive of a permanent transfer if he impressed, the move to Barcelona has turned into everything Rashford will have hoped for and more.

We exclusively revealed just days after his move to Aston Villa was finalised in the 2025 winter window how the player was not intending to make the move permanent and had already instructed his agent to begin work on a summer switch to Spain; a move that ultimately came to pass on July 23 last year.

Since then, Rashford has been involved in 23 goals for the Blaugrana (10 goals and 13 assists), making himself an indispensable member of the side under Hansi Flick.

However, the axing of Ruben Amorim as Manchester United manager had seen fresh speculation that a return to Old Trafford could be on the cards, especially given the club’s need to add a left-sided forward to their ranks.

Ultimately, though, our sources made it clear that Rashford had no desire to return to the north-west and had not spoken to anyone with regards to a summer return to Old Trafford and having made it clear he had already set his heart on a permanent move to Spain.

Now, according to Barcelona-centric publication Sport, Barca have now made a final call to trigger their €30m (£26m, $35m) purchase option on Rashford and have made it clear to his representative that they plan to offer him a lucrative three-year deal through to summer 2029.

The final call on the transfer was made by Flick, who has managed to get Rashford back to his best and made clear to club bosses that it would be ‘impossible’ for the club to find better value anywhere in the world, given his outstanding G/A contribution to the club so far.

To finalise the deal for Rashford and ensure the route was clear to his signing, it’s been reported by Sport that Barca turned down the chance to sign Ademola Lookman on two occasions, thus helping to ensure Rashford’s pathway to a permanent move was not blocked.

As TEAMtalk has previously revealed, United are keen to avoid a scenario in which Barcelona attempt to negotiate another loan deal next season. Discussions are ongoing over how a permanent transfer could be structured, but Rashford’s stance leaves little room for doubt: his future lies in Spain, not in Manchester.

Despite being pleased to see United’s recent resurgence under Michael Carrick, sources close to the forward insist that Barcelona is the only club he wants to play for going forward.

Rashford is described as “very happy” with his life in Catalonia, both on and off the pitch, and the permanent transfer there will officially bring a close to the player’s long 21-year association with the Red Devils, having joined their academy as a seven-year-old.

Meanwhile, our transfer correspondent, Dean Jones, has reports that United are already lining up Rashford’s replacement, with two top targets firmly on the radar.

Yan Diomande is a name very much in United’s thinking right now and there is a growing feeling within recruitment circles that the incredible RB Leipzig attacker could be the first option the Red Devils explore as a replacement for Rashford.

Other clubs have also enquired about the RB Leipzig winger, meaning a deal will not come cheap and it could take a fee as much as €100m (£86m, $118m), to prise him away this summer.

The Ivory Coast international, described as the Red Bull Group’s best discovery since Erling Haaland, has scored eight goals and added six assists in 21 appearances in all competitions for Leipzig so far this season.

Another name to look out is Everton star Iliman Ndiaye.

The Senegal international, who is capable of playing on both wings but mostly operates on the right, has a combined goals/assists tally of six this season in 20 appearances for David Moyes’ side.

His current market value is £39m (€45m / $53m), as per Transfermarkt, although the Merseyside outfit will almost certainly demand more to sell to a Premier League rival, especially with the 25-year-old remaining contract until 2029.

Man Utd linked with Barcelona defender; Tottenham star on Flick’s radar

Meanwhile, a surprise report has claimed Barcelona are ‘willing’ to sell an €80m-rated defender this summer to either Man Utd or Liverpool after an ‘unexpected scenario’ arose, it has been claimed.

Elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero is attracting serious interest from La Liga heavyweights Barcelona and Atletico Madrid ahead of the summer transfer window, with sources making it clear that the defender is ready to quit, but with Spurs placing a huge asking price on his head.

Finally, a shock report out of Spain claims Barcelona expect to succeed with a €30m bid to sign a second Manchester United star they’re under ‘immense pressure’ to sell after Rashford.