MEN: UCL quarter-finalists now ‘desperate’ to enter talks with Man Utd and negotiate deal for in-form star

Barcelona’s determination to keep Marcus Rashford at the Camp Nou has escalated into a summer stand-off with Manchester United, with the Catalan giants now described as “desperate” to renegotiate the terms of the forward’s future.

United inserted a €30 million (£26 million) permanent-buy clause when they sanctioned Rashford’s season-long loan last August, a figure the Blaugrana are openly reluctant to meet. Instead, club officials have tabled proposals for a cut-price transfer or a second successive loan, both of which United have flatly rejected.

A flurry of reports emanating from Catalonia this week suggested the purchase option lapsed at the end of March, but Manchester Evening News correspondent Steven Railston has dismissed the claim as inaccurate. “Barca seem desperate to pay a lower fee for Rashford,” Railston confirmed, “but #mufc have taken an admirable stance: pay the fee, or don’t sign him.”

Old Trafford chiefs regard the clause as non-negotiable and are relaxed about exploring alternative buyers should Barcelona persist in their attempts to drive the price down. United are willing sellers after the academy graduate slipped down the pecking order under Erik ten Hag, and they are confident the England international’s revitalised numbers will attract suitors prepared to meet the valuation.

Since swapping Manchester for Barcelona, Rashford has contributed 10 goals and 13 assists in 39 appearances across all competitions, form that has helped Hansi Flick’s side reach the Champions League quarter-finals. Yet the depth of Barça’s attack has limited the 28-year-old’s game time; he has been an unused substitute twice in recent weeks, including the second-leg rout of Newcastle United, and has managed only 26 minutes of action in two substitute appearances since returning from a minor injury.

With the summer window looming, Barcelona’s hierarchy now face a choice: activate the €30 million release clause by the agreed deadline or risk losing a player they increasingly view as central to their long-term project. United, for their part, will not wait around. If the Liga heavyweights continue to haggle, the Red Devils will pivot to other interested parties, safe in the knowledge that Rashford’s improved output has not gone unnoticed across Europe.