Marcus Rashford hoping for a ‘dream move' to FC Barcelona as Nico Williams' transfer advances

Marcus Rashford is dreaming of a stunning move to Barcelona in the summer. (Image credits - Grok)

Manchester United's outcast forward Marcus Rashford is set to finally leave the club permanently this summer, having spent the last six months on loan at Aston Villa. The 27-year-old is currently training alone in Spain to regain fitness before the pre-season begins.

As per reports dating back to April, FC Barcelona ‘like’ Rashford's profile and had shown interest in him but his huge wages have been a problem for them, which restricted them to make a move for the Englishman.

Rashford wants to leave Man United and a possible transfer to Barcelona would be a "dream come true" for the 27-year-old as stated by the player himself. Recently when asked about the prospect of playing alongside Lamine Yamal at Barca in an interview, Rashford responded by saying, "Yes, for sure, Everyone wants to play with the best. Hopefully... we'll see.” (sic)

However, the Man United star's hopes could be crushed as Barcelona are focusing only on Nico Williams at the moment, with the Bilbao winger also having agreed personal terms with the La Liga champions.

However, there might still be a ray of light at the end of the tunnel for Rashford as few reports claim that Barça sporting manager Deco has urged the 27-year-old to force an exit from United on favourable conditions, which could help him join the Catalan based club.

As per One Football, Deco has informed the Englishman's camp that a loan move with a salary reduction and no mandatory purchase option would be optimal for both the player, who seeks the opportunity to reignite his career, and Barcelona, who aim to strengthen their attack to a great extent before heading into the next season.

How can Barcelona benefit from Rashford's signing?

Marcus Rashford  was deemed to become the “next Wayne Rooney” at Manchester United because of his sheer talent and versatility. The Englishman did impress fans across the globe during his initial days but fell short eventually due to his inconsistency.

Rashford is a player who is technically suited for Hansi Flick's style of football. He's versatile, can play on both wings and also as a lone forward, which does impress the German manager. On top of that, his pace on the wings along with his eye for goal and ability to take set-pieces, also impresses Deco and the rest of the Barcelona management.

On the other hand, the move could massively benefit Rashford as Hansi Flick is a great identifier of talent and he knows how to bring the best out of them, as we have seen him develop Serge Gnabry and Raphinha into complete beasts, who were failing to hit form before meeting the 60-year-old tactician.

Barcelona are looking for a potential no. 9 replacement for their aging superstar, Robert Lewandowski, and Rashford could become the perfect candidate because of his versatility and the ability to even operate as a striker, while primarily being a winger.

An attacking lineup consisting of Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Marcus Rashford, and Raphinha definitely sounds optimistic and fascinating for the future of the Catalan giants but at the same time, feels close to impossible considering Barcelona's financial condition and the complexities surrounding the moves.