Barcelona want to keep Marcus Rashford for a second season and have asked Manchester United to agree another loan deal for the forward. Rashford, who joined Barcelona on loan at the start of last season, would prefer to stay in Spain rather than return to Old Trafford in the summer.
The clubs have already agreed a £26m fee for Rashford, but Barcelona have tried and failed to renegotiate that price. United are holding out on the clause until June 15, and talks are due to resume at the end of the season unless a deal can be struck sooner.
Rashford has settled quickly in Catalonia and has been loving life at Barcelona since the move. He has scored 12 goals and provided 13 assists, form that has helped Barcelona go six points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. The forward would like his future settled before he heads to the World Cup with England if he is included in Thomas Tuchel's squad.
The financial side remains central to the negotiations. Barcelona have been paying Rashford's contract in full during the loan, while United would want that arrangement to continue if another loan is agreed. If United secure Champions League qualification, Rashford's wages would rise again to £315,000-a-week, a cost the club is keen to avoid as it looks to cut the wage bill this summer.
That pressure is already shaping United's plans. Casemiro and Jadon Sancho are set to leave, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reluctant to have Rashford back on the books. For Barcelona, the appeal is obvious: a player in form, already settled, and still delivering in a title race. For United, the question is whether to cash in now, keep paying up, or push the issue back into the summer.
