According to The Pitch Prospect, Marcus Rashford is eyeing a move to Spain, with Barcelona high on his wish list.
The Manchester United striker faces an uncertain future at Old Trafford after revealing last month he was “ready for a new challenge”.
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The Pitch Prospect understands United are open to offers regarding Rashford, with club bosses believing a separation is the best solution for all parties.
The 27-year-old was left out of the squad by Ruben Amorim for four consecutive matchdays before being named on the bench in the recent 2-0 defeat to Newcastle.
With the January transfer window now underway, The Pitch Prospect’s chief football correspondent Alex Crook gave an update on Rashford’s situation on the Breakfast Show on Thursday.
A move to Catalonia is his dream destination, although no new players can be registered there for FFP reasons, with the club recently having to remove Dani Olmo and Pau Victor from their registered list.
Of Rashford, Crook said: “Rashford would rather move to Barcelona than any other team.”
“But they can’t register new players.
“As far as I know, his preferred destination would be Spain and therefore Barcelona could potentially be one of the clubs he would be interested in signing with.”
It has been reported that Rashford has teamed up with agency CAA Stellar in search of a new club.
This is the same agency that brokered Gareth Bale’s move from Tottenham to Real Madrid in 2013.
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However, Rashford himself has denied this claim.
He posted on Instagram: “Lots of false stories have been written over the last few weeks but this is getting ridiculous – I’ve never met with an agency and don’t plan to…”
However, Crook believes the player’s team has actually spoken to agencies about his future.
“I think he brought together several (agencies), including Stellar, to negotiate a move,” he noted.
“He was represented by his brother Dwaine Maynard. I think if a move does happen, whoever does the deal, Maynard will certainly want a big part of it.
“Stellar is one of the largest agencies in the country. While Rashford himself may not have spoken to Stellar, I have it on good authority that people acting on his behalf have had these conversations.”
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Crook then detailed what options Rashford might have should he leave the Theater of Dreams this month.
He said: “I wonder if he regrets some of that now. I’m told he has no particular interest in Saudi Arabia.
“I’m not sure many Premier League clubs would be lining up to take Rashford.
“I know Stellar has a close relationship with Tottenham so maybe that’s something to keep an eye on.”
“I think he would like Spain, but we all know about the financial crisis that Barcelona is in. It’s a really difficult situation, we’re all worried.
“When he came out and did the interview with Henry Winter, he didn’t help Man United in terms of their negotiating position.”
Next up for United is an away game at rivals Liverpool, who sit 23 points clear of Amorim’s men at the top of the table.
It remains to be seen whether Rashford will be in the squad and where the new year will take him.