Barcelona's £26m Rashford option set to expire as United face summer valuation standoff

Manchester United are bracing for a difficult summer negotiation over Marcus Rashford after Barcelona moved to sign Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United for £69.3m, making it near-certain the Spanish club will not activate their £26m option to buy the England forward before the June 15 deadline.

Rashford spent last season on loan at the Nou Camp, where a permanent clause was inserted into the agreement. But Gordon’s arrival fills the left-sided role Rashford occupied, and Barcelona are now expected to let the option expire rather than commit the full fee. Reports suggest the Catalan club could return with a fresh offer — either another loan or a permanent deal worth roughly half the original £26m figure — leaving United in an awkward position.

The club have so far held firm, insisting they will not renegotiate the agreed option price. Once the clause lapses next week, however, United may find themselves with little leverage and few alternatives if they want to move Rashford on permanently this summer.

Rashford, 28, impressed during England’s friendly against New Zealand on Saturday, completing a sharp 45-minute audition that put him ahead of Gordon in the race for a starting berth on the left of Gareth Southgate’s successor’s World Cup XI. After the match, Gordon revealed that Rashford had been offering him advice about life at the Nou Camp and tips on where to live in Barcelona — a detail that underlines how amicably the two players have navigated a potentially awkward situation.

Rashford is expected to return to United’s Carrington training base approximately three weeks after England are eliminated from the World Cup in North America, but he appears to have no long-term future at Old Trafford. United will hope a strong tournament raises his market value and widens the field of potential buyers, with Bayern Munich and Arsenal among the clubs previously linked with the forward.

The coming weeks will test United’s resolve. If Barcelona return at a significantly reduced figure and no rival bidders emerge, the club face a choice between accepting a loss on a player they valued at £26m or keeping a forward who has no apparent place in Ruben Amorim’s plans.