Man Utd AGREE Marcus Rashford deal with Barcelona as Ornstein reveals surprise formula

Barcelona have pitched an offer for Marcus Rashford and Manchester United have agreed to the terms, David Ornstein has revealed, as the forward inches closer to his dream move.

Rashford has been dreaming of a move to Barcelona virtually all year, with TEAMtalk confirming as soon as he joined Aston Villa on loan in February that his preferred light at the end of the tunnel would be the move to Catalonia. After Villa decided against using their option to buy him for £40m, Rashford and his representatives have been able to focus their energy on securing his dream move.

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick wants to add Rashford to his squad as an option to use across the frontline and the reigning LaLiga champions have now taken active steps towards making the match-up a reality.

Reporting for The Athletic, Ornstein has revealed that Barcelona have made an offer for Rashford – who has now spoken with Flick – through intermediaries.

While Man Utd have been referring to the pre-set £40m valuation for Rashford, Barcelona’s proposal is a loan with an option to buy.

Perhaps surprisingly, given their need to raise funds for their own transfers and their desire to get Rashford off the books, Ornstein has confirmed that United have agreed to the idea.

There will still be some finetuning before an agreement is sealed, but talks are said to be at the final stages.

In this kind of negotiation, the clubs will have to agree if there will be a loan fee (and how much it would cost), what the option to buy will be, whether it could become an obligation, and who will pay what portion of Rashford’s wages throughout his loan spell.

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Fabrizio Romano has added that Barcelona have now made ‘direct’ contact with Man Utd for Rashford, who has already accepted the move.

The club-to-club bid was placed in the morning after Barcelona held an internal meeting and decided to go for Rashford rather than Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, who was deemed to be too expensive.

Barcelona have already missed out on another left winger this summer after top target Nico Williams chose to sign a long-term contract renewal with Athletic Club.

Flick has been vocal about his wish for a new left winger and has admitted his appreciation of Rashford (and Diaz), without being drawn too much on the pursuit.

But if the final hurdles are overcome, the Barcelona boss may soon be able to speak about the England international as his own player.

Rashford to Barcelona: A story six months in the making

TEAMtalk’s Fraser Fletcher reported on February 4 that Rashford remained interested in a move abroad and was hoping to use his Aston Villa loan as a ‘stepping stone’.

Barcelona showed interest in Rashford in January and were one of the handful of European clubs to hold talks with his brother-agent Dwaine Maynard, but a move was difficult because of their financial situation.

Rashford was hoping to use his time with Villa to put himself in the shop window, which he managed to do to a degree.

Sources said before his Villa debut that his representatives were ‘already putting in the work to try and secure his ideal summer move’.

That all seems to be about to come to fruition, with Rashford’s desire to become Barcelona’s first English player since Gary Lineker now on the verge of becoming a reality.

There have been more recent talks between Barcelona and Maynard, and the crucial club-to-club contact has followed to set up what will be an eye-catching next move for Rashford.

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How Marcus Rashford will fit in at Barcelona

When Rashford leaves the Premier League, moving to LaLiga could be the next best thing – and Barcelona would be an illustrious destination.

They do have a high-performing left-winger in their current squad already; Raphinha scored 29 goals when playing on the left last season and scored a brace from that position in the Supercopa De Espana final on January 12.

That said, Raphinha isn’t so tied down to one position. The Brazil international has played on the right wing or in attacking midfield at other times.

Last season’s deputy on the left, Ansu Fati, is regarded as a fading talent and has been sent on loan to Monaco, so there could be occasions when Rashford would be turned to in his favourite position as a different rotation option.

However, Raphinha playing on the right to accommodate Rashford would mean Lamine Yamal or Ferran Torres would likely have to drop out, and Barcelona have been insistent on not blocking the teenager’s development in particular.

If he wants to play as a striker, meanwhile, Robert Lewandowski is the man Rashford would have to displace. And unsurprisingly, his goals-to-games ratio remains incredible, so he would be a big obstacle to starting opportunities.

At the age of 36, though, the Poland striker can’t necessarily play 90 minutes every week (though he pretty much did in November’s LaLiga schedule, for example). It’s likely Barcelona will be considering their options for Lewandowski’s long-term successor, but would they give that opportunity to someone like Rashford?

For the short-term future at least, they believe they have a place in their squad for Rashford. His versatility may have hindered him before at Old Trafford, given his preference for playing on the left wing, but it might be what makes him a useful player for Barcelona.

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