Barcelona
Rashford Holds Out as Barcelona Move Faces New Uncertainty
Rashford prioritizing Barcelona move and unfazed by Gordon he wants a permanent deal and CL success.
Marcus Rashford is reported to be still “prioritizing” a permanent move to Barcelona despite the club completing the high-profile signing of Anthony Gordon. The England international spent a productive loan with Hansi Flick’s side, contributing to 25 goal involvements in all competitions, and Barça retain an option to sign him permanently from Manchester United for around $35 million (€30 million).
Barcelona moved quickly to secure Gordon as they rebuild their attacking options after Robert Lewandowski’s departure. The speed and cost of the deal surprised some observers, even though it had been expected that Gordon would leave Tyneside at the end of the 2025–26 season. Bayern Munich had been linked previously, and Liverpool had been a suitor in the past.
Gordon is described as a capable center forward, but Barcelona’s reported interest in Julián Álvarez has led to a view that Gordon may operate as a deputy for Raphinha. That sequence of moves has intensified scrutiny over Rashford’s prospects of remaining in Catalonia.
Sources indicate Flick was satisfied with Rashford’s loan output, and the fee to make the move permanent looked sensible on paper. Barcelona have hesitated, however, and the arrival of Gordon has made Rashford’s stay appear less likely. Reports say Rashford remains determined to stay with the club and was not affected by the Gordon signing because he was already aware of Barcelona’s interest in his compatriot.
Rashford is said to be waiting on Barça and has not considered other proposals. He is also reportedly weighing whether he could operate as Lamine Yamal’s understudy should Roony Bardghji depart after a single season. What is clear is that Rashford remains “obsessed” by the prospect of winning the Champions League with Barcelona.
Financially, Barcelona have spent on Gordon and pursued Álvarez, yet the €30 million figure for Rashford is presented as problematic. Media reports suggest the club may offer just over half of the buyout clause, a proposal Manchester United would be unlikely to accept. With his future in doubt, United may need to seek another destination for the player, whose season in Spain has increased his appeal to other clubs ahead of the World Cup this summer.
Barcelona
Gordon to Barcelona reshapes Rashford’s summer options
Gordon’s move to Barcelona complicates Rashford’s future and leaves United weighing alternatives up.
Anthony Gordon’s imminent €80 million (£69.3 million, $93.2 million) move to Barcelona substantially alters Marcus Rashford’s immediate prospects. Rashford has spent the season on loan at Barça, making 49 appearances and recording 28 goals and assists across all competitions, but Barcelona’s reluctance to activate a $34.9 million (£26 million, €30 million) option and the much larger fee for Gordon make a permanent stay less likely.
Barcelona remain intent on signing a central striker after saying farewell to 37-year-old Robert Lewandowski. Gordon has at times operated as a false nine, but his arrival does not remove the club’s appetite for a genuine No. 9. Rashford “isn’t the ideal choice—Julián Alvarez and João Pedro are—but the Manchester United player is at least capable of playing centrally, despite preferring to be on the left.” Behind the scenes, Barcelona have not communicated a clear decision to Rashford or his camp, and they say they “still see a chance” he could remain. At the same time senior figures view keeping him as “more complicated” than before.
Manchester United have maintained a firm position through the loan: there will be no renegotiation of the option clause and no second loan. If Barcelona decline to activate the clause, Rashford will automatically return to United at the end of the loan. The most practical route for him to stay in Barcelona would be if the club chose to cash in on Raphinha, who produced 29 goals and assists in 2025–26 despite two notable injuries and is less than a year older.
Rashford left his boyhood club in January 2025 on loan to Aston Villa after failing to impress Ruben Amorim in training. The context at United has changed: Amorim has been replaced by Michael Carrick, the team needs a left-sided forward, and Carrick has not ruled out reintegration. If Barcelona do not activate the option and no agreement can be reached with United, a permanent sale seems the likeliest outcome, with Aston Villa, Chelsea and Newcastle among the conceivable destinations mentioned in discussions.
Arsenal
Five transfer sagas set to dominate the summer window
Five transfer sagas to follow this summer: Diomande, Fernández, Álvarez, Anderson, Wharton. Details.
Summer will bring the familiar long negotiations and headline-grabbing speculation as clubs pursue a handful of marquee targets. Here are five stories most likely to shape the window.
Yan Diomande’s rise has been swift. Up until November 2024 he was in a youth academy in Florida, then moved from the United States to Leganés before an eye-catching switch to RB Leipzig last summer. The 19-year-old has recorded 13 goals and nine assists in an astonishing debut season with Leipzig and is now attracting Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain. Reports value him around €100 million (£87m, $116m). Diomande will represent Côte d’Ivoire at the World Cup, a factor likely to complicate and prolong any transfer.
Enzo Fernández publicly cast doubt over his future during the March international break after flirting with Real Madrid. Speculation over his Chelsea exit has intensified with Manchester City joining the race and Enzo Maresca seen as the likely successor to Pep Guardiola. There is a sense that Chelsea’s final day defeat to Sunderland was Fernández’s last outing for the club, and he looks increasingly unlikely to spearhead Xabi Alonso’s revolution at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are reportedly demanding around £120 million ($161 million), and the player’s participation at the World Cup for Argentina will delay any resolution.
Julián Álvarez remains a central talking point. Having stayed at Atlético Madrid for the 2025/26 campaign, the 26-year-old appears destined to leave Spain’s capital before next season. Barcelona are favourites and are preparing to launch a first official bid of roughly €100 million (£87m, $116m), though Atlético may seek more. Arsenal are also interested despite already possessing Viktor Gyökeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.
Elliot Anderson’s stock has risen sharply after a breakthrough season with Nottingham Forest and an England call-up for the World Cup. Interest from Manchester City and Manchester United looks significant, with City seemingly in the driving seat despite Guardiola’s exit. It could take about £100 million ($134 million) to complete that move. Anderson’s midfield compatriot Adam Wharton finished the campaign by leading Crystal Palace to Conference League glory, adding to the FA Cup won last term, and Palace face Europe-wide interest. Real Madrid, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City and Man Utd have all been mentioned, with Palace valuing Wharton at approximately £100 million ($134 million).
Barcelona
Why Barcelona Picked Anthony Gordon: The Financial and Sporting Calculation
Gordon’s signing reflects Barcelona’s financial planning and longer-term potential for 2025/26 now.
Barcelona moved quickly once La Liga wrapped for 2025–26, reaching an agreement with Newcastle United to sign Anthony Gordon. The transfer has immediate consequences for Marcus Rashford, who spent 2025–26 on loan at Barcelona and had been hoping the club would exercise a buy option that was priced below market value.
There has been long-standing hesitance at Barcelona about committing to Rashford permanently. The club instead spent more than double that option on Gordon. Part of the rationale is accounting: amortization spreads the cost of a transfer fee and a player’s salary across the length of a contract, reducing the club’s annual burden.
Barcelona could have spent just $35 million to sign Rashford on a permanent basis, but a higher annual salary and a shorter contract would not necessarily have been materially cheaper overall. The Gordon deal will pay Gordon slightly less than Rashford is believed to have been on during the loan and also spreads the transfer fee over two years more. Rashford was reportedly hoping Barcelona would offer him a five-year contract on less money instead, if it meant lowering the annual expense so he could stay.
Sporting factors also played a part. Gordon, Liverpool-born, produced 12 goal involvements in 12 Champions League appearances this season, compared with eight in 26 Premier League matches. He also scored against Barcelona in the league phase, one of three appearances against the club he will now join. At more than three years younger than Rashford, Gordon offers room to improve and a potential resale in three or four years. By contrast, the draft argues, an investment in Rashford now could be almost completely lost by 2029, with the forward approaching 29.
Barcelona have not formally ruled out signing Rashford and the player is reported to be holding on to hope. One anonymous club official told The Athletic that a deal is now “more complicated” than it was before Gordon happened.
