Barcelona's £26m call on Marcus Rashford is still unresolved, with a 15 June deadline hanging over the deal after his loan spell. Manchester United have said they are not willing to renegotiate, and Rashford's contract runs until 2028. That leaves a straightforward option on paper and a messier one in practice.
Why the delay matters
The clearest sign of how open this still is comes from the BBC line that there has been no official communication between the clubs yet. Sources close to the player have also said speculation has intensified over the past 24 hours that Barca will opt against completing the signing. That is not the same thing as a finished deal in reverse, but it does mean the final decision is still sitting on Barcelona's side.
There is another reason this is not just a simple yes-or-no call. Rashford would be entitled to three weeks off once England's World Cup campaign concludes, so timing matters as much as the fee itself. If Barcelona pass, Arsenal are one of the clubs likely to keep watching the situation closely.
Why the door is not closed yet
The case for Rashford still having value is easy enough to make. His loan spell included three goals and one assist across his last five league matches, and the wider recent sample backs that up, with two goals, one assist and 316 minutes across those same five games. He also averaged a 6.88 rating in that stretch.
Those numbers do not force Barcelona into anything, but they do explain why a different outcome has not been ruled out. Michael Carrick said: "whoever's here, I want to work with, and help them improve". That keeps the conversation open, even if the more immediate pressure sits with Barcelona and the 15 June deadline.
If Barca walk away, United still have a player under contract until 2028, and the next move would have to make sense on wages as much as transfer value. For now, the main fact is simple enough, Barcelona have not given the final answer yet.
Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →