Chelsea have been linked with a move for Marcus Rashford after Barcelona reportedly decided to send him back to Manchester United.
Rashford was hoping to sign a permanent deal with Barcelona after spending last season on loan at the Nou Camp.
The 28-year-old, who is preparing for England’s World Cup campaign, largely impressed for Barca, scoring 14 goals in all competitions as Hansi Flick’s side won La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup and went deep in the Champions League.
Barcelona were given the option of signing Rashford for around £26m when they agreed a loan deal for the Manchester United outcast last summer.
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The Spanish champions were expected to activate that clause, with Flick and Barcelona sporting director Deco regularly praising Rashford’s contributions.
But Rashford suffered a blow when Barcelona signed his England teammate Anthony Gordon in a £70m deal from Newcastle United last month.
Reports said Barca were still interested in keeping Rashford when they welcome Gordon but it emerged earlier in the week that he would be sent back to Old Trafford.
Rashford has made over 400 appearances for boyhood club Manchester United but does not appear to have any future at the Theatre of Dreams despite Michael Carrick’s appointment as permanent head coach.
As a result Rashford’s representatives have started looking at different options and Chelsea were linked with a surprise move earlier in the month.
According to Chelsea expert Si Phillips, the Blues have not ruled out a move for Rashford and could be tempted to launch an official move later in the summer.
However, it is claimed Chelsea will only approach Rashford if moves for other targets do not come to fruition and even then would only be interested in a loan deal.
New signings are expected in west London as Xabi Alonso, the former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder, prepares to take over as manager.
Chelsea’s London rivals Arsenal and fellow Premier League clubs Aston Villa and Tottenham have all also been linked with Rashford.
Stamford Bridge hero Joe Cole recently urged Chelsea to consider a move for the England star, telling The Sun: ‘It’s just a matter of the wages and the valuation.
‘Rashford ticks a lot of boxes, but you don’t want to spend a fortune on him – he’d do a good job for Chelsea.
‘He needs to keep going, Marcus, he needs to keep his confidence up because he rebuilt himself at Barcelona, and there’s still another level for him to jump to.
‘He’s someone Chelsea should inquire about, but it’ll depend on the deal.’
Meanwhile, Tottenham legend Darren Anderton has previously told Metro that Spurs would be a ‘really good fit’ for Rashford.
‘I don’t think he’s a level above Tottenham. I actually think Spurs would be a good fit for him,’ he said on behalf of Online Live Casino.
‘Obviously Barcelona is a dream move for any player, and I’m sure he’s desperate for it to happen. But at Tottenham, with a manager like De Zerbi, I think he could really thrive.
‘I think De Zerbi gets the best out of players. We’ve all seen what he did at Brighton. As a player, you always ask around when a new manager comes in.
‘I think Tottenham would be a really good fit for Rashford if the Barcelona move doesn’t happen.’
Another potential option for Rashford is Bayern Munich, who have reportedly expressed interest in a summer deal after missing out on former target Gordon.
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