Barcelona want Rashford permanently but seek discount on £26m buy option

Barcelona want to sign Marcus Rashford on a permanent basis but are attempting to negotiate a fee below the £26million option-to-buy clause written into his loan deal, according to Spanish outlet Sport — a stance that complicates Manchester United’s hopes of either selling him at full value or reclaiming him this summer.

Rashford joined Barcelona on loan last summer after publicly expressing a desire to leave Old Trafford. The clause allowing Barcelona to make the move permanent has been available for some time, yet the club have not triggered it. Instead, they are reportedly seeking a lower fee while Flick’s backing for a permanent deal adds institutional weight to their interest.

The option-to-buy window closes on June 15. If Barcelona do not activate the clause or agree a new deal with United before that date, Rashford would return to Old Trafford and any subsequent transfer would require fresh negotiations between the two clubs.

The 28-year-old has given Barcelona little reason to let him go cheaply. He scored 14 goals and registered 14 assists during his loan spell, form that earned him a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for this summer’s World Cup.

Teammate Frenkie de Jong has been among those publicly advocating for Rashford to stay. “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,” De Jong told Sport. “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.”

For United, the situation presents an awkward set of outcomes. Selling Rashford for less than the agreed clause fee would represent a climbdown, while his return to a club he wanted to leave last year would reopen questions about his long-term future at Old Trafford. With the June 15 deadline approaching, both clubs face pressure to reach a resolution.