Barcelona ditch Rashford after La Liga title season, leaving Real Madrid move in play

Barcelona have turned down the option to sign Marcus Rashford permanently after his loan spell, leaving the Manchester United forward’s future unresolved despite one of the most productive seasons of his career.

Rashford scored 14 goals and contributed 14 assists for the Catalan club as they won La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup, yet Barcelona chose not to trigger the £26 million purchase option in his loan agreement. Instead, the Spanish champions spent £70 million on Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United.

Spanish outlet Marca reported that Gordon was preferred over Rashford primarily for his defensive work rate, describing Rashford’s defending as his “weakest point”. The three-year age gap — Gordon is 25, Rashford 28 — and the United forward’s reported £315,000-a-week wages were also cited as factors. Barcelona reportedly offered United around £13 million for Rashford, roughly half the agreed fee, which United rejected.

Rashford’s apparent response was swift: he deleted all references to Barcelona from his social media channels following the news.

Attention has now turned to where Rashford lands next. Real Madrid have emerged as one possibility, with Jose Mourinho set to take charge at the Bernabeu for a second time this summer. Mourinho managed Rashford at Old Trafford between 2016 and 2018, a period in which the forward established himself as one of the Premier League’s most dangerous attackers.

Rashford himself laid the groundwork for such a move in 2021, when he expressed admiration for both of Spain’s biggest clubs. “I would never say no,” he said of the prospect of playing in La Liga. “Other than United? I’m a big fan of Real Madrid and Barcelona, because they’ve always had great players and played attractive football.”

Having now experienced life at Barcelona, a move to their fiercest rivals would represent one of football’s more striking transfers. Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur have also been mentioned as potential destinations, though no deal appears imminent.

Rashford had been frozen out at United under manager Ruben Amorim before a six-month loan to Aston Villa in January 2025, followed by his move to Barcelona that summer. His future at Old Trafford looks equally uncertain, with the club showing no indication of reintegrating him into their plans.