Marcus Rashford: Can Arsenal sign Manchester United forward for £40m this summer? | OneFootball

Chelsea and Tottenham have also been linked with the England forward

Marcus Rashford has reportedly emerged as a transfer target for Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.

The Manchester United forward’s future is uncertain after Barcelona decided against turning his loan spell into a permanent deal, despite having the option to do so for £26million.

Instead, the LaLiga champions have opted for Rashford’s international team-mate Anthony Gordon, completing a £70m transfer prior to the start of the World Cup.

So, where does this leave Rashford? Well according to The i Paper, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs are all plotting a move for the forward as the London trio bid to bolster their attacking options.

The Gunners are on the market for a left-winger having missed out on Morgan Rogers, who sealed a record-breaking £117m transfer to Chelsea on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, it was reported earlier in the summer that Rashford had no interest in joining Tottenham, or any English club, with only a move abroad of interest as it stood at the time.

However, even if the 28-year-old did have a change of heart, the aforementioned report states Man United have no interest in selling to a Premier League rival.

At one stage this summer, Man Utd would have been powerless to prevent Rashford joining Arsenal, for example, and for a cut-price fee.

Can Arsenal sign Rashford for £40m this summer?

No. The Athletic previously reported that there was a £40m exit clause in Rashford's contract that all clubs - barring Liverpool and Manchester City - could trigger to open talks over a summer transfer.

Though, that clause has now expired without being activated, meaning any club interested in signing the England international will have to negotiate directly with Man Utd.

Amid contrasting speculation that United want to sell Rashford before August 8 to Michael Carrick wanting to hand the forward a lifeline at Old Trafford, the 28-year-old is now free to sort out his future following the World Cup.

He said: “I was very clear with everyone involved before the World Cup, I wanted [a transfer] done before.

“If it’s not, I wanted it to wait until after. I want to be fully present in the moment.