Rashford to Real Madrid shouldn’t be ‘ruled out’ as Man Utd star’s likely next club is revealed | OneFootball

Barcelona “remain in pole position” to sign Man Utd forward Marcus Rashford this summer but don’t “rule out” at move to Real Madrid.

The Red Devils allowed the England international to leave Old Trafford and join Barcelona on a season-long loan deal in the summer transfer window.

Rashford has largely impressed for the Catalan giants this season with the 28-year-old contributing 14 goals and ten assists in 48 appearances in all competitions (25 starts).

Barcelona and Man Utd agreed to a €30m (£26m) buyout clause in the temporary deal but there are doubts as to whether the Catalan giants will trigger it.

The La Liga side are reportedly hoping to reduce the amount they have to pay or even negotiate a new season-long loan for next season.

There have been recent rumours that incoming Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho is interested in bringing Rashford to the Bernabeu with him.

However, Football Insider journalist Pete O ‘Rourke insists that Barcelona ‘remain in pole position’ to sign Man Utd forward Rashford ‘despite new interest in his services’ from Mourinho at Real Madrid.

The Catalan giants’ ‘unwillingness to sign Rashford for such a fee has raised doubts around a permanent move’ with the La Liga champions ‘still in a strong position to seal his services ahead of Real Madrid’.

Football Insider have been told that Mourinho, who worked with the England international at Man Utd, ‘wants to reunite with Rashford’ in the summer transfer window.

O’Rourke told Football Insider: “There’ll be further talks held between Barca and United to see if a deal can be thrashed out.

“If there’s an opportunity to send Rashford you wouldn’t rule out Mourinho doing something like that.

“Obviously he worked with Rashford before during his time at United between 2016 and 2018. I just don’t know where he gets in that Real Madrid team, that would be the biggest question mark over that deal.

“We know he’s probably not going to come back into the picture at Old Trafford. They will happily let him move on and I still think Barca remain in pole position to get a deal done.”

Former Man Utd assistant manager Rene Meulensteen insists there is still a route back to Old Trafford for Rashford if he wants it.

Meulensteen told Boyle Sports: “There is a route back for Marcus Rashford because Michael Carrick knows him. I think there is a really important conversation to be had, no two ways about it.

“Marcus has grown up as a little kid from Manchester. He’s Manchester United through and through. And for whatever reason, something has made him make the decision to move away.

“Maybe it has been good for him to move away for a while, just to have a look at it and look back at Manchester United from the outside in. Because it will also have given him the opportunity to realise how much Man United actually means to him.

“Because he knows Michael and Michael knows him, I think it’s definitely a good conversation that they should have. And then obviously, it all depends on what exactly the expectations are from both parties.”