Chelsea willing to take Rashford on loan as Barcelona balk at £26m clause fee

Chelsea are prepared to sign Marcus Rashford this summer, though only on a loan deal, as Barcelona’s pursuit of the Manchester United forward stalls over a disputed transfer fee.

Barcelona had until June 15 to trigger a £26m buy clause following Rashford’s loan spell at the club, but The Times reported the Catalan side are willing to pay only half that figure — approximately £13m — a proposal United are widely expected to reject. Having already signed Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United this summer, Barcelona are said to be comfortable extending Rashford’s stay on another season-long loan rather than committing to a permanent deal.

Chelsea’s position mirrors that of Barcelona. According to journalist Simon Phillips via TeamTalk, the Blues are open to a deal for the 27-year-old England international, but exclusively on loan terms. Bayern Munich have also been linked with a move for Rashford, giving the forward several potential destinations as his United future remains unresolved.

Rashford has one year remaining on his contract at Old Trafford, where new head coach Michael Carrick has taken charge. Former United defender Wes Brown believes the situation will ultimately hinge on conversations between player and manager.

“Rashy still has a year left at United,” Brown said. “There’s a new manager in charge. I’m sure Michael Carrick will speak to him at some point. Then it comes down to where the two of them are at. I think Rashy feels it’s probably not right to come back to United. He’ll try and go somewhere else and I think everyone will have to accept it either way so long as it’s on the manager’s terms.”

Brown also noted that Gordon’s arrival at Barcelona had complicated Rashford’s position with the Spanish club. “Anthony Gordon to Barcelona was a bit of a shock to everyone, but especially to Marcus Rashford. There was a deal there for Rashy and then they go and sign Gordon, who plays in the same position.”

With United unlikely to sanction a sale at a heavily discounted price, and both Chelsea and Barcelona preferring a loan arrangement, a permanent exit this window appears increasingly difficult to engineer.