Barcelona are considering a shock move for Real Madrid star Rodrygo, despite looking to finalise a deal for Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford.
The 27-year-old has not played for his boyhood club since being hauled off in a Europa League match away to Viktoria Plzen on December 12 and ended the season on loan at Aston Villa.
Rashford has trained away from Ruben Amorim’s first-team since pre-season began and appears to be edging closer to a dream switch to Barcelona.
Talks are understood to be progressing on a deal to take the United outcast to the LaLiga outfit, with a season-long loan including an option to buy being worked on.
Rashford is among five players to have informed United they wish to explore a future away from Old Trafford, where he came through the academy and scored 138 goals in 426 first-team appearances.
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The England international admitted he was ‘ready for a new challenge’ in December and last month revealed he would like to play alongside Barcelona’s teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal.
Barcelona sporting director Deco in May told Catalan radio station RAC1 that the club ‘like’ Rashford, who does not have a squad number having lost the 10 shirt to Matheus Cunha.
Like Rashford at United, Rodrygo is in a state of limbo at Real having been told he is likely to need to find a new club following the arrival of Argentine teenager Franco Mastantuono.
Xabi Alonso hardly used the Brazil international at all during his new side’s FIFA Club World Cup campaign and the writing appears to be on the wall for the 24-year-old.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are among a clutch of Premier League clubs understood to be monitoring the situation, but the player’s current wages are reported represent a major stumbling block.
According to UOL, however, Barcelona have expressed an interest in Rodrygo despite Hansi Flick already being well furnished with top class forward options in wide areas.
Yamal and Raphinha powered Barcelona to the Spanish title last season and they were within moments of booking a place in the Champions League final before a late semi-final collapse against Inter.
The Brazilian media outlet claim that Raphinha could be redeployed in a more central attacking role by Flick in the new season which would open up an extra spot in his squad for a winger even if, as expected, Rashford arrives.
UOL did contact Rodrygo’s representatives who offered a brief statement which read: ‘Rodrygo is on vacation in Brazil and remains a Real Madrid player, with a contract until June 2028.
‘Information about a possible transfer is speculation and what we know, at this moment, comes as rumors raised by the media.’