Man Utd ‘obligated’ to sell starter to Barcelona for €30m – it’s NOT Rashford | OneFootball

A shock report out of Spain claims Barcelona expect to succeed with a €30m bid to sign a Manchester United star they’re under ‘immense pressure’ to sell, and it’s NOT Marcus Rashford.

Rashford’s long-term future may lay in Barcelona, with Fabrizio Romano recently confirming the LaLiga giant intend to negotiate a permanent transfer at season’s end.

However, Rashford might not be the only high profile Red Devils star to end up at the Camp Nou.

According to a shock report from Spanish outlet Fichajes, Lisandro Martinez is on Barcelona’s radar and a deal is likelier than you might think.

It’s claimed Barca boss, Hansi Flick, has zeroed on in Martinez as the perfect player to bolster the left side of his defence.

Martinez, 28, is viewed as a perfect fit for Flick due to his suitability to playing in a high line, his aggressiveness off the ball, and his ability to break the lines with his passing range.

Accordingly, Barcelona are ready to make a move for Martinez in the summer and believe €30m / £26m would be enough to seal a deal.

That number will raise eyebrows in Manchester, not least because Martinez, who is a regular starter at Old Trafford, cost roughly £56m (add-ons included) when signed from Ajax three-and-a-half years ago.

Yet it’s stated that because of Martinez’s contract situation – his current deal expires in 2027 – Man Utd are under ‘immense pressure’ to either hand out a new and improved extension or cash in at season’s end.

Of course, Man Utd do have an option to extend the Argentine’s stay by a year, which the report may or may not have overlooked.

In any case, it’s claimed Man Utd almost feel ‘obligated’ to negotiate with Barcelona in lieu of the player’s contract situation.

Jason Wilcox, Omar Berrada and whoever Man Utd appoint as their next permanent manager in the summer will surely have something to say about that.

Want more breaking transfer lines from original sources? Add TEAMtalk as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.

In other news, Man Utd can and intend to set a new club record by completing a £100m signing in the summer, and the midfielder in question is very much on board with moving to Old Trafford.

Elsewhere, Real Madrid are ready to test United’s resolve to retain the services of Diogo Dalot in the closing days of the January window and in a move that could have serious long-term repercussions for Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Finally, we can reveal Juventus have made NEW checks into the potential signing of Joshua Zirkzee in the hopes Man Utd will alter their stance on an exit in the final days of the window.