Marcus Rashford involved in 'cunning' Barcelona plan as Man Utd left in awkward position

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Barcelona may have already snapped up Anthony Gordon and be pursuing Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez, yet they are still scheming to prise Marcus Rashford away from Manchester United . The Catalan club are remarkably planning to table a bid of just over half of the £26m option they agreed as part of the forward's loan from Old Trafford.

Barca's crafty strategy is that they are banking on United's eagerness to shed Rashford's £325,000-a-week wages from their payroll forcing the Red Devils into accepting a cut-price deal, according to Mail Online. Rashford remains tied to his parent club until 2028.

The La Liga champions are unwilling to meet the required fee should United stand firm on the figure they inserted into last summer's agreement. Meanwhile, Rashford has already indicated he would accept nearly half his current salary in order to stay at Camp Nou.

Rashford is understood to have scheduled talks with United as he seeks clarity ahead of his World Cup campaign with England. The 28-year-old netted 14 goals and laid on 14 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona and had been keen to continue his stint in Spain going forward.

Barca's early forays in the transfer market have cast considerable doubt over the prospect of Rashford securing a second season at the club. Hansi Flick's outfit are reportedly also targeting Bernardo Silva on a free transfer.

They are prepared to offer Silva a weekly wage of around £80,000, which would represent a notable reduction on his current earnings at City. Reports from Spain suggest that Silva's arrival could potentially put paid to any deal for Rashford.

Rashford has no shortage of other suitors, however, as Barcelona weigh up their options. Arsenal and Tottenham have both been linked with the forward, while Bayern Munich could emerge as a potential destination following their failure to land Gordon.

United would rather not bolster a Premier League rival, but would entertain an offer for the right fee. Former United striker Teddy Sheringham believes Rashford could even find his way back to Old Trafford.

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"Yes, things can turn around," Sheringham said. "If he did want to come back he could explain his motives over the last couple of years.

"Did he have a problem with Ruben Amorim? Or does he have a problem with the football club?

"If he's got no problem with the club, and it was all due to the previous manager, that's an issue that can be solved and all can be forgiven, but some of the performances he was putting in during his last season weren't great. He'd need to turn things around and win people back again.

"Michael Carrick has to make the decision on whether he knows Rashford well enough to get the best out of him or whether bringing him back would put them both back in the same scenario."

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