‘Big issue’ – Barcelona eye cut‑price Manchester United transfer

Given that United has this desperate need to sell Rashford, there won’t be much of a choice if the club is pushed into a corner. And that is where the Spanish giants are looking to push the price down to £26 million (or even lower). And they are using this Manchester Reds need to sell and hoping to leverage Rashford’s preference for Barcelona to lower the price.

If Rashford continues to perform this way donning that Barca badge, United’s hold on the situation might continue to decrease.

And speaking about the situation in an exclusive interview with Football Insider, former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson highlighted how it is a “big issue” for Man United. He said:

“It’s a big issue for Manchester United because it is very hard to see where the upside is.

“You’re not going to bring him back unless there’s a change of manager and he’s very keen, which must be unlikely. Not so much the first bit, but the second bit.

“So, he’s not coming back, and he’s almost certain to say he wants to go to Barcelona if Barcelona want to sign him, so you’re negotiating against yourself.”

WAFU Opinion

We do expect Barça to try and sign Rashford at a lower price. But Man United must not succumb to such pressure and position themselves in a panic sale of an asset which can reap more fees. Ideally, if the England international’s form continues to improve, it would attract interest from multiple other suitors given his potential and quality. It’s simple, take advantage of his form and the current market to drive his price up and not down.

And this is when United can start to promote a bidding sort of situation.

But if it doesn’t come to that, United must try to maintain some bargaining power. At this point it’s likely that Rashford is going to pursue his career beyond Old Trafford, but at this point United do have an opportunity to manage how deep they lose out on his exit.