Barcelona have reportedly determined what conditions must be met if they are to sign Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford.
The England international is currently on loan at Aston Villa where he has contributed four goals and six assists from 17 appearances in all competitions.
However, it is anticipated that the 27-year-old’s season has already been brought to an end courtesy of a hamstring injury sustained last week.
As it stands, Villa possess a £40m buy option to secure Rashford’s services on a permanent basis, yet a report has recently emerged questioning whether the player wishes to remain in the West Midlands.
What is Barcelona’s stance?
Rashford is allegedly ‘dreaming’ of a transfer to Barcelona during the off-season if a deal can successfully be negotiated with United or, theoretically, Villa.
According to The iPaper, officials at the Catalan giants have determined whether they are interested in pursuing a deal.
Nevertheless, that will only come to fruition if United are prepared to sell Rashford for lower than the £40m that Villa would be obligated to pay.
A recent report suggested that Rashford is prepared to take a substantial wage cut in order to move to Barcelona, yet that would seemingly only bolster their chances of signing him to a certain extent.
In the short term, though, Barcelona have opportunities to boost their revenue as they bid to win the La Liga title and Champions League trophy.
United left in weak position
United’s best option at this point is for Rashford to sign for Villa so that they can press ahead with strengthening Ruben Amorim‘s squad.
Should Rashford opt against moving to Villa, the Red Devils will have to play a waiting game at a time when any suitors are aware of their desperation to cash in on the homegrown talent.
Furthermore, all but a few foreign clubs cannot afford to pay £40m on any player, never mind someone in Rashford who is bidding to kick-start his career.
As a result, there would be an inevitability over United having to soften their stance over a £40m valuation, even potentially having to consider a loan deal if it proves lucrative enough.
