Barcelona have reportedly reached a "final" decision over the future of Marcus Rashford, and it's one that Manchester United may not welcome. Rashford has spent the season on loan at the Spanish giants, having previously made clear his wish to depart Old Trafford last summer.
The England international continues to be strongly linked with a permanent move away from United upon his return to the club at the end of his loan spell. There remains a possibility that Rashford could stay at Barcelona without heading back to United, should the La Liga champions opt to activate the £26million purchase option written into the loan agreement.
The clause has been available to activate for some time, yet Barcelona have so far failed to approach United with the required fee to sign Rashford on a permanent deal. Spanish outlet Sport has revealed that Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has given his approval for Rashford to make his move to the Camp Nou a permanent one.
Despite this, the report also indicates that Barca are simultaneously exploring whether they could land Rashford for a figure below the £26m mentioned in the purchase option clause. The clause in Rashford's loan arrangement expires on June 15, after which the 28-year-old would be unable to make his switch permanent, and would instead need to hope a fresh deal could be struck.
Rashford netted 14 goals and registered 14 assists for Barcelona throughout his loan period, with such displays securing the forward a place in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for this summer's World Cup. It remains unclear what lies ahead for Rashford and whether an arrangement can be struck between United and Barcelona, or if the La Liga giants alter their stance and agree to pay the £26million fee.
United may also be mindful that Barcelona may have other targets on their shortlist. A separate report in Sport has claimed that the club's sporting director, Deco, has travelled to London to negotiate a deal to sign Chelsea star Joao Pedro.
It was earlier this month that Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong outlined why he would want Rashford to stay at the club beyond his loan spell. "Yes, I believe so," De Jong told Sport when asked if Rashford should remain a Barcelona player. "In the minutes he's played, he has given us a lot: goals, assists, depth. He is a fast player, who threatens rival defences. I would be delighted if he continued with us. He arrived here with a lot of enthusiasm. He was very happy to be here and from the first moment he arrived you could already see that he wanted to stay. He's tried to adapt as best he could and I've seen him do well."
