Manchester United star Marcus Rashford, on loan at Aston Villa, dreams of moving to Barcelona, so much so that he would welcome a significant pay cut. However, obstacles remain to the deal.
United loaned Rashford to Aston Villa following his disagreements with Ruben Amorim. The England international is expected to return to Old Trafford at the end of this season, but he is unlikely to play again under the Portuguese manager.
Rashford has long been a target for Barcelona, and was even considered a transfer candidate last winter. However, the financial crisis at Camp Nou and the financial terms of the deal prevented that from happening.
Rashford is interested in joining Barcelona
Sport reported that Rashford has a strong interest and desire to wear the Barcelona shirt and is willing to make sacrifices to join Hansi Flick’s squad.
People close to Rashford have informed Barcelona’s management that the player is willing to take a significant salary cut in line with the Blaugrana’s salary scale, in an attempt to persuade Joan Laporta’s management to make a move for him.
This is not the first time Rashford has expressed his willingness to take a salary cut for Barcelona. Last January, it was reported that he was willing to take just $5 million to fulfill his dream of playing at Camp Nou.
🚨 Marcus Rashford does NOT want to join Aston Villa. He wants to make a move to Barcelona and is willing to take a pay cut to make it happen.
(Source: @DiscoMirror) pic.twitter.com/TVLNyQJo4n
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) April 29, 2025
How much is Rashford’s salary at Manchester United?
Rashford is one of the highest-paid players in English football, earning an annual salary of $15.1 million at Manchester United.
When he joined Aston Villa, Villa Park covered nearly a third of his salary, and he remains the highest-paid English player in Unai Emery’s squad.
Barcelona wants Rashford, but the economic situation is causing a crisis
Barcelona’s interest in signing Rashford is well known. The Catalan club wants to sign a left-winger next summer, and this is presumed to be a priority, especially given Raphinha’s poor form in recent weeks.
However, Barcelona cannot enter into the deal due to Manchester United’s asking price.
Aston Villa has a £40 million option to buy Rashford, and a decision has yet to be made on whether to activate this option.
For Barcelona, £40 million is a huge sum, and even if Rashford takes a pay cut, it is unlikely the Catalans will pay that amount at this time, while United’s management is unwilling to let him leave for less.
Barcelona aims to bring back the “prodigal son” next summer
Rashford’s figures this season
Rashford began the season with Manchester United, making 24 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals and providing three assists.
Upon his move to Aston Villa, the 27-year-old made 10 Premier League appearances, scoring two goals and providing three assists, four Champions League appearances, and three FA Cup appearances, scoring two goals and providing one assist. He has a total of four goals and six assists in 17 appearances across all competitions.
It’s worth noting that Rashford returned to the England squad in March, the first of Thomas Tuchel’s tenures, after having missed three consecutive international breaks due to poor form.
