Pat Nevin urges Rashford to drop wage demands as Barcelona pivot to Gordon

Marcus Rashford’s route out of Manchester United is narrowing, with Barcelona effectively ending their pursuit of a permanent deal by agreeing a £69.3m move for Anthony Gordon — leaving the England forward with few credible suitors unless he lowers his wage expectations.

Rashford spent the 2025/26 season on loan at Barcelona, where he hit double figures for both goals and assists under Hansi Flick. That form had fuelled speculation the Catalan club would exercise a permanent option worth around £26m, but their move for Gordon has all but closed that door.

Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin believes the field of clubs willing to meet Rashford’s current salary demands is dangerously small. “I don’t know if Barca can really keep on paying all the money. Real Madrid can. Nobody else can really pay a staggering amount for a player who has got a checkered background,” Nevin said. “Someone like Chelsea wouldn’t buy him because they buy younger players and it’s all about sales there. So, you’re kind of limiting the teams you can go to.”

Nevin went further, suggesting Rashford should reconsider his priorities entirely. “If I was advising Marcus Rashford I’d tell him to stop being obsessed with money and cut a deal to stay at Manchester United because that’s where he belongs,” he said, though he acknowledged he was not confident such a return would materialise given the circumstances of Rashford’s two loan spells away from Old Trafford.

Rashford also spent time at Aston Villa during the 2024/25 season, contributing four goals and six assists in 17 appearances. Villa have since secured a Champions League return under Unai Emery, and Nevin indicated they could remain an option if Rashford’s wage demands soften.

“If I was advising someone like Marcus, I would remind him it’s a short career and he should get on the pitch as often as he can,” Nevin added. “Somebody will pay him quite well for doing it.”

At 28, Rashford has been loaned out by each of the last two United managers, and with the summer transfer window progressing, the window for securing a permanent move — on his current terms — appears to be closing.