Barcelona have reportedly asked Manchester United about the possibility of a second loan for Marcus Rashford as the Catalan club approaches a 15 June deadline to trigger a €30m (£26.1m) buy option on the forward.
Rashford is coming to the end of his season-long loan at the Camp Nou after falling out of favour at Old Trafford, and Barcelona are understood to be reluctant to pay the 30 million euro fee attached to his temporary move.
The numbers make the decision stark. Barcelona have until 15 June to decide whether to activate the €30m option; if Manchester United qualify for next season's Champions League, Rashford’s wages would rise to £315,000 a week — a 25% increase on his current terms — and United still have two years left to run on what the club considers a lucrative contract.
Michael Carrick, speaking on the wider squad, underlined that nothing has been settled on Rashford’s future. “There's decisions to be made on certain things, and obviously Marcus is in that situation,” he said. “But at this point in time, nothing's been decided.”
Manchester United have not yet responded formally to Barcelona's enquiry and remain firm on their position: the club want a straight sale this summer rather than a second loan. Old Trafford’s hierarchy has been resistant to any attempt to change the terms of the original deal and are confident they can find other potential buyers if Barcelona walk away.
That partly explains Barcelona's caution. Club finances have been flagged as a potential barrier to any fresh arrangement that would leave them responsible for an increased wage bill should United qualify for the Champions League and trigger the contract uplift — a prospect Barcelona view as a real issue for a second loan spell.
Reports also say Rashford is keen to remain at the Camp Nou, a detail that reportedly prompted Barcelona's approach. The Mirror reported the enquiry was driven by the forward’s desire to stay, though United’s lack of a formal reply keeps the situation fluid. Carrick repeated that the club will decide in due course: “It will be, because it has to be at a certain point, but at this stage, there's nothing to say.”
The contest between what Barcelona can afford and what United want creates clear tension. United prefer a permanent sale and are said to be confident of other suitors, but Barcelona's reluctance to stump up the €30m option — against the backdrop of a wage spike and the club's financial limits — means a neat outcome is not guaranteed.
Rashford himself has not closed the door on a return to Manchester United. Carrick signalled the club’s openness to working with whoever is available next season while reminding listeners of the temporary nature of current arrangements: “Whoever's here, I want to work with, and help them improve,” he said. “At the moment, it's this squad of players. There's obviously players on loan, and whatever happens with that later on will happen.”
The immediate calendar now shapes the likely next move. Barcelona must decide by 15 June whether to buy; United will push for a sale; and the forward's wage mechanics — a 25% rise tied to Champions League qualification — may yet be the factor that prevents a second season-long loan. For Rashford, who still has two years left on his deal and whose post-Old Trafford trajectory included a three-match managerial stint under Michael Carrick in 2021 and a later loan move in 2025, the summer will determine whether he returns to Old Trafford, stays in Spain or moves elsewhere.
At present, the clearest conclusion is procedural: unless Barcelona meet the €30m price or find another way to absorb the increased wages, Manchester United are likely to continue pushing for a permanent sale rather than reshaping the loan terms that brought Rashford to the Camp Nou.
