(Football news) Rashford has not played for Manchester United since December 12 and has subsequently missed their last nine games after revealing last month that he is ready for a ‘new challenge’.
The 28-year-old is widely expected to depart Old Trafford before the winter transfer window closes on February 3 – most likely on loan – and has been linked with a number of European clubs in recent weeks
Rashford has not played for the Red Devils since December 12 and has subsequently missed their last nine games after revealing last month that he is ready for a ‘new challenge’.
The 28-year-old is widely expected to depart Old Trafford before the winter transfer window closes on February 3 – most likely on loan – and has been linked with a number of European clubs in recent weeks
Barcelona pushing to sign Rashford?
A recent report claims that Ligue 1 outfit Monaco have emerged as the new frontrunners to sign Rashford, as they are open to paying a large portion of the attacker’s wages, believed to be in excess of £300,000 per week.
That report has since been played down by multiple reports, though, while Spanish news outlet Sport states that Barcelona are in fact at the front of the queue to sign Rashford, who has become their ‘priority’ transfer target.
The La Liga giants are known to be Rashford’s preferred destination and the attacker is said to have given the green light to make the move to Catalonia this month.
Barcelona’s financial troubles have been well-documented for some time, and they recently had difficulty registering both Dani Olmo and Pau Victor until the Spanish national sports council (CSD) confirmed their availability at the start of the month.
Nevertheless, The Athletic’s David Ornstein claims that Barca can now afford to sign Rashford following the club’s sale of VIP seating at the redeveloped Camp Nou, satisfying the requirements of La Liga’s 1:1 rule.
How else can Barca generate funds amid Rashford interest?
It is understood that cash-strapped Barcelona will also need to part ways with some first-team squad members to help balance their books and reduce their whopping £850m debts.
Girona sporting director Quique Carcel recently revealed that his club are keen to sign defender Eric Garcia from Barcelona before the January transfer window closes, with an alleged €10m (£8m) deal being discussed.
Ansu Fati, meanwhile, is facing an uncertain future at Camp Nou and the former Brighton & Hove Albion loanee is believed to have attracted interest from Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.
However, a switch to Serie A outfit Como is not on the cards as their manager, ex-Barca midfielder Cesc Fabregas, has ruled out the possibility of signing the Spanish winger.
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