Overview
- Multiple outlets reported on June 10 that Barcelona will not pay the roughly £26m buy option to make Marcus Rashford’s loan permanent, so he is expected to return to Manchester United after the World Cup unless a new deal is agreed.
- Sources say Barcelona remain open to keeping Rashford only via another loan rather than a permanent transfer, while Manchester United have insisted they want a full sale and are not planning to reintegrate him into the first team.
- Rashford has visibly reacted to the news by removing Barcelona references from his social profiles, and his strong 2025/26 season of about 14 goals and 14 assists for Barca has left several Premier League and European clubs linked to him.
- Barcelona’s reported £69m signing of Anthony Gordon and LaLiga registration and spending rules have reduced their appetite to pay the buy option or restructure the deal, making a permanent move harder to arrange quickly.
- Rashford’s contract at United is reported at about £325,000 per week until 2028, which United ownership wants to lower, so the club face a short window to find a buyer or use the World Cup to try to boost his transfer value.