Manchester United outcast CLOSE to Barcelona move | OneFootball

Manchester United outcast Marcus Rashford is reportedly closing in on a loan move to Barcelona.

Rashford, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, has been told in no uncertain terms by manager Ruben Amorim that he can find a new club and it would appear the 27-year-old is on the verge of a move to the Spanish giants.

As David Ornstein reports, Barcelona are set to sign Rashford on an initial loan deal with the option to make the move permanent should the England international be a hit at the Camp Nou.

Manager Hansi Flick has approved the transfer with a loan deal suiting in both footballing and financial terms.

Amorim hasn’t hidden away from publicly criticising Rashford’s commitment in the past, with the United boss questioning the forward’s attitude after leaving him out for the Manchester derby at the Etihad towards the end of 2024.

Rashford didn’t feature again for United following that moment in mid-December and he was eventually shipped out on loan to Villa Park for the remainder of the season in January.

In 17 appearances for Villa, Rashford found the back of the net four times and his six months in the Midlands were deemed an overall success.

However, it has been claimed that Rashford’s preference has always been to move abroad with PSG reportedly long-term admirers of the England forward.

Despite rumours, the Champions League winners never made an attempt to sign Rashford and now Barcelona have bounced to snap him up.

The La Liga winners were very close to landing Athletic Club star Nico Williams but disputes between parties eventually put pay to that move.

And Barcelona quickly turned their attentions to Rashford and the move could be complete by early next week.

The move will give Rashford a chance to flourish ahead of next summer’s World Cup, with the forward a favourite of new England boss Thomas Tuchel.