
Manchester United
Premier League • England
Man Utd ‘negotiating’ Rashford swap with Barcelona as Amorim looks to sign ‘hot potato’ in January

Man Utd's Marcus Rashford and Frenkie De Jong of Barcelona have been linked with a swap move
Manchester United are reported to have opened talks with Barcelona over a move to send Marcus Rashford to the Nou Camp and help realise his wish to move to LaLiga – and the Red Devils are seemingly open to bringing in a long-term target in a high-profile swap and in a move that could ultimately suit all parties.
The 27-year-old forward is headline news this week after being dumped from the Manchester United matchday squad to tackle Manchester City last Sunday, with their homegrown star forced to watch their dramatic 2-1 win from the comfort of his sofa. In the hours that followed, Gary Neville congratulated Ruben Amorim for taking a strong stand, while Roy Keane suggested it could be the end of the line for the player at Old Trafford.
And having since made clear his wish to leave United and open a new chapter in his career following an explosive interview with Henry Winter, speculation has risen over exactly where Rashford will end up moving to next.
Any move away, though, is of course complicated by the mammoth wages the player is on at Old Trafford. He is currently their second-highest earner, behind Casemiro, and taking home a colossal £325,000 a week. And with his deal not expiring until 2028, he is owed some £60m in wages over the duration of that deal, making any move away a difficult one to negotiate.
However, reports in Spain now claim Barcelona and Man Utd are ‘negotiating a swap deal’ involving Rashford and Frenkie de Jong ahead of the January transfer window.
The Netherlands midfielder has found himself on the fringes at the Nou Camp this season, starting just two games under new coach Hansi Flick, who has the Blaugrana top of LaLiga and second in the Champions League.
And with El Nacional describing De Jong as a ‘hot potato’ at the Nou Camp, owing to the fact that he is their highest-paid player but is unable to get into the team, they state United have shown ‘great interest’ in finally bringing the former Ajax man to Old Trafford and that Ruben Amorim ‘still believes that he could be an interesting addition to the midfield’.
As a result, the report claims Amorim ‘wants’ Rashford ‘to leave’ and ‘he has been offered’ to Barcelona president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco ‘as a bargaining chip’.
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Where next for Marcus Rashford?
Speculation surrounding Rashford’s future has dramatically increased off the back of his announcement on Tuesday evening.
And trusted journalist Ben Jacobs wrote in his article on TEAMtalk that while the player is not being forced out, they would be open to his sale and that a move to PSG is not currently on the agenda, despite the French giants’ long-standing interest in his services.
Since then, sources have told us that Rashford, in fact, favours a move to LaLiga and that he would reject offers from within the Premier League – and with four English suitors monitoring his situation – to push for a move to LaLiga.
And while Barcelona do have a strong interest, not least in the wake of claims they could swap the 60-cap England star for De Jong, Rashford has also been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid, though Diego Simeone’s side are reportedly looking to negotiate a swap deal first and foremost.
👉 Ask me anything! Submit your questions about the upcoming transfer window HERE for TEAMtalk’s Fraser Fletcher to answer on Friday afternoon 👈
Amorim not turning back on Rashford as Ferdinand hits out
Amorim’s handling of the situation has certainly earned widespread praise in recent days with the BBC’s chief football writer Simon Stone believing he will know soon enough if the Portuguese coach’s claims about wanting to keep Rashford are true enough.
That comes after Amorim admitted he was feeling ’emotional’ and having advised Rashford on what to do next following his interview with Winter.
Stone wrote: ‘If Manchester United offered guidance on how not to create even more turmoil around an already delicate situation, Ruben Amorim has followed it.
‘We know enough of Amorim now to know he is not someone who will hold back just for the sake of it, so there is an element of reality about his observations that Marcus Rashford is a big talent – ‘and we need big talents’.
‘But this is also a case where actions will speak louder than words.
‘Amorim says he wants Rashford to stay. But also that players have to meet his standards. He says Rashford – and Alejandro Garnacho – will be assessed for selection on the training ground performances.
‘It is fair to assume therefore that if neither reaches the required standard, they will not travel to London for the EFL Cup tie at Tottenham – even if Rashford has shaken off the illness that prevented him from training on Monday.
‘After Tottenham, United have Premier League games against Bournemouth, Wolves and Newcastle.
‘We will know soon enough where Rashford fits in Amorim’s plans. If he fails to reach the standard his new boss demands, the 27-year-old will not feature.’
Rio Ferdinand, meanwhile, believes that all does not meet the eye around Rashford’s wish to leave Old Trafford, having also hit out at the way his exit wish announcement was made.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Rio Ferdinand Presents, he stated: “I don’t think this is just a football decision for Manchester United, there is more to it.”
He added: “You have to remember that when this kid came onto the scene, he was an absolute breath of fresh air, he was a joke. Again, the body language when he came in, was what every fan saw themselves being if they came in.
“That’s been the biggest killer for me, that his body language, for the last three years, has not been what a Manchester United fan sees himself being in a Manchester United red shirt when a goal goes in or when they step foot out onto Old Trafford. His body language has been almost depressive, a recluse-like body language.”
De Jong’s Barcelona career by numbers
