Barca has scheduled Rashford's medical examination after reaching a verbal agreement with Man Utd. The two clubs need to sign the contract before the England international flies to Barcelona for the medical. Joining Barca was Rashford's dream for the summer of 2025, leading him to decline offers from Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Rashford warms up during Man Utd's match against Newcastle at Old Trafford, Manchester, UK on 30/12/2024. Photo: Reuters

Rashford warms up during Man Utd's match against Newcastle at Old Trafford, Manchester, UK on 30/12/2024. Photo: Reuters

Man Utd preferred to sell Rashford outright, as his contract runs until the summer of 2028. However, Barca is reluctant to pay a transfer fee due to his substantial 435,890 USD weekly wage at Man Utd. Last season, when Rashford was on loan at Aston Villa, Man Utd still covered 25% of his salary, while Aston Villa paid the remaining 75%.

It remains unclear whether Barca will pay a loan fee to Man Utd or cover Rashford's entire salary. Before reaching an agreement with Man Utd, Barca had inquired about Luis Diaz from Liverpool for 70 million USD. However, Barca couldn't compete with Bayern Munich's 78 million USD offer.

Previously, Barca also missed out on winger Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao. Rashford is their third choice after Williams and Diaz, but his acquisition won't cost tens of millions of USD. Sporting director Deco has approved the loan deal for Rashford. The 27-year-old forward will provide cover for Raphinha on the left and Robert Lewandowski in the center of the attack. Rashford could also start for Barca if Raphinha moves centrally to play as an attacking midfielder.

Rashford was among the "five ticking time bombs" at Man Utd, alongside Antony, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho, and Tyrell Malacia. These players are reportedly no longer in manager Ruben Amorim's plans and have been separated from the first team.

Hoang An (according to Romano, Athletic)