England international Marcus Rashford has found himself in a state of uncertainty, facing the possibility of being forced to return to Manchester United for pre-season training.
The 28-year-old was considered surplus to requirements by his childhood club and their former manager, Ruben Amorim, last summer.
Rashford then made a remarkable loan move to Barcelona, where he spent the season significantly enhancing his reputation at Camp Nou.
The forward’s performances for Hansi Flick’s La Liga champions earned him a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad, which arrived in Florida yesterday.
While Rashford’s immediate focus will be on helping England progress in the forthcoming tournament, his long-term future remains uncertain.
Barcelona have until June 15 to secure Rashford on a permanent deal for £26 million, but The Times reports that they have signalled a willingness to offer only a maximum of £13 million.
United are highly unlikely to accept such a paltry sum, even for a player who would probably not be part of Michael Carrick’s new setup.
Barcelona remain keen on acquiring Rashford, but their financial capabilities are not what they once were, having already allocated £70 million to sign Anthony Gordon from Newcastle.
Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella, who would cost approximately £60 million, is also on Barcelona’s radar, but they would almost certainly need to offload a defender before pursuing the Spain international full-back.
Barcelona might choose to wait until after the June 15 deadline to make another attempt to sign Rashford. However, in that case, United would be able to demand more than the £26 million specified in the buyout clause.
Reports earlier this month suggested that Rashford’s representatives remain optimistic about ongoing Premier League interest in a player who scored 14 goals and provided 10 assists last season.
Premier League champions Arsenal are poised to back Mikel Arteta once again in this summer’s transfer window, with at least one new forward expected.