Marcus Rashford is reportedly prepared to take a pay cut in order to seal his dream transfer during the summer window.
The Manchester United forward is currently on loan at Aston Villa where he has contributed four goals and six assists from his 17 appearances in all competitions.
However, the England international’s season is already believed to be over due to a hamstring injury that he suffered in training last week.
As a result, reports have emerged that the 27-year-old may be requested to return to Old Trafford earlier than scheduled in order for the club’s medical staff to oversee his rehabilitation.
That is despite Villa possessing a £40m buy option when the market reopens in June, it seemingly more likely than not that the West Midlands will activate that clause.
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Does Rashford see future elsewhere?
Nevertheless, as per The Mirror, Rashford has his sights set on a move to a foreign club, rather than a permanent stay in the West Midlands.
The report claims that Rashford would prefer to complete a transfer to Barcelona and is willing to take a pay cut in order to help push through a deal.
Although the Catalan giants were interested in the winter window, they were not in a strong-enough financial position for a move to be realistic.
Despite their ongoing issues with complying with the relevant regulations, that may soon change if they can complete the quadruple this campaign, including lifting the Champions League trophy.
In theory, that would help Rashford complete what is said to be his ‘dream’ move, but it remains to be seen how United or Villa would handle Barcelona trying to intervene.
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What is next step?
Rashford has clearly enjoyed his football while at Villa, earning regular football and being viewed as ahead of Ollie Watkins for key Champions League fixtures.
That said, Villa are currently far from certain to achieve a second successive season at European football’s top table, something that may be required to convince him to stay at the club permanently.
Villa can, of course, still pay £40m and opt to try to sell Rashford for a small profit, but that is a risk if the player wishes to play for another team.
From United’s perspective, they are desperate for Villa to activate their buy option in order to bolster their own financial position. Selling an academy graduate for £40m is the kind of business that they need to do in order to secure suitable additions to Ruben Amorim‘s squad.
There is a potential for Rashford to sign for Barcelona on some kind of loan deal, yet it is claimed that is not a preferred option for many parties involved.
