Marcus Rashford’s agent holds crunch talks with Man Utd refusing to budge over transfer | Football | Sport
Marcus Rashford‘s agent has reportedly flown into Barcelona for crunch talks over a permanent move to the Nou Camp at the end of the campaign. Rashford has enjoyed a new lease of life since joining the Catalan giants on loan from Manchester United. So far this season, he has scored 10 goals and registered 13 assists from 34 appearances in all competitions.
It’s been widely reported that Rashford wants to join Barcelona permanently, rather than go back to United when the season draws to a close. There is a clause in his loan deal allowing the Spanish side to buy him for around £26million in the summer transfer window. However, they are said to be stalling over the price, which suggests an agreement isn’t a foregone conclusion.
According to Sport, those in power at Barcelona want Rashford to stay but are eager to negotiate a reduced fee. His agent, Arturo Canales, reportedly held crunch talks at the Nou Camp on Monday in an attempt to find a resolution.
It’s also claimed that United are refusing to budge, insisting that Barcelona pay the full value of the clause in order to sign Rashford on a permanent basis.
The report adds that football agent Kostas Theoharides, who works with Canales, played a significant role in bringing Rashford to Barcelona on loan. He also accompanied Canales during Monday’s meeting with Deco, the club’s sporting director.
Theoharides is thought to have a good relationship with United and Barcelona are hoping this could help them to reach a compromise with the Red Devils.
Rashford is reportedly willing to accept a pay cut to force through the move, but his future will depend on whether terms can be agreed at club level over the coming weeks.
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It’s not clear if Barcelona will eventually give in to United’s demands, or if any failure to drive down their asking price will result in Rashford being sent back to Old Trafford in the summer.
The forward made it clear that he wanted to stay on while speaking to ESPN shortly after the completion of his loan move back in October.
He said: “For sure [I want to stay at Barcelona]. I’m enjoying this football club and I think for anybody who loves football, Barcelona is one of the key clubs in the history of the game. For a player, it is an honour.”
Rashford added: “Relationships on the pitch, the ones I am still learning, are very important. When it comes to the matchday, these are things which make small differences. They have such high quality. It’s the perfect scenario to play with players like this.”
