Marcus Rashford's agent reportedly met with Barcelona sporting director Deco on Wednesday morning to discuss a possible move for the Manchester United attacker during this summer's transfer window.
There is currently a host of speculation surrounding Rashford's future, as it seems unlikely that Aston Villa, having missed out on Champions League football for next season, will take up their £40m option to sign him on a permanent basis.
The forward made the move to Villa on loan in January, and he scored four times and registered six assists in 17 appearances for Unai Emery's side in the second half of the 2024-25 campaign.
While Rashford has allegedly been happy at Villa Park, it is understood that Barcelona are his dream club, and interest from the La Liga team in the 27-year-old has already been confirmed.
Liverpool's Luis Diaz is also reportedly a target for the Catalan outfit, who are making the signing of a new winger a priority during this summer's transfer window.
© Imago
Rashford's agent 'meets with Barca chief Deco' to discuss transfer
"I don't want to talk about players who are not in my team, but they are both fantastic players and I like them. We'll see what happens," Flick told reporters on Saturday when asked about Rashford and Diaz.
When asked about a new winger being discussed by senior figures at the club, he said: "That's what we talked about. In the last few games, we haven't had much of a chance there. We have to try to improve."
Meanwhile, Deco recently told RAC1: "Talking about players who have contracts with other clubs is complicated out of respect. We like Luis [Diaz], we like [Marcus] Rashford, and we like other players. When we go to the market, there are names that we know and that could improve the team."
According to SPORT, Deco met with Rashford's agent in Barcelona on Wednesday morning, with a potential move for the Man United forward during the summer transfer window being discussed.
© Imago
Will Barcelona pay £40m for Rashford?
Man United are keen to sell Rashford this summer, and it does appear that £40m is the price, as that is the agreement in place with Villa, should Emery's team decide to sign him on a permanent basis.
Barcelona would find it difficult to pay that amount due to their financial issues, though, and it is being reported that the La Liga champions could instead look to agree a loan deal, with the possibility of making the move permanent in the summer of 2026.
The fact that Deco and Flick are both keen on the deal has allegedly led to confidence surrounding a move, but it remains to be seen whether Barcelona can make the numbers work.
Rashford has a record of 138 goals and 77 assists in 426 appearances for Man United, and there have recently been claims that he could be offered a route back into Ruben Amorim's first-team squad next term.
However, the breakdown of his relationship with Amorim in the first half of the season makes that incredibly unlikely.
Matt Law
