Barca pull plug on Rashford deal as Alvarez becomes priority target

Barcelona have made their decision: they will not activate the €30 million purchase option for Marcus Rashford, the fee agreed with Manchester United when the forward joined on loan last year.

Although the deadline to trigger the clause was set for June 15, the Catalan giants have already informed the England international that they do not intend to make his stay permanent.

Atletico mock Real Madrid's €150m Alvarez bid as Barcelona watch on

Rashford's response was swift. Despite his loan deal officially running until June 30, the 28-year-old has already removed all references to Barcelona from his social media profiles, including Instagram and X, in what appears to be a clear sign that his time at the club is coming to an end.

Barcelona's change of heart is largely the result of recent developments in the transfer market and a shift in the club's attacking priorities. Two weeks ago, the Blaugrana successfully completed the signing of England winger Anthony Gordon, effectively filling a key position on the flank and pushing Rashford further down the pecking order.

The club's primary objective has now become finding a long-term successor to Robert Lewandowski.

"I always believed I'd play for Barca" - Gordon completes dream €80m move

With the wide attacking areas addressed, Barcelona's sporting department is concentrating its efforts on securing a traditional centre-forward. Club officials view Julian Alvarez as the ideal profile to lead the attack alongside Lamine Yamal for years to come. As a result, the €30 million initially earmarked for Rashford will be redirected towards an ambitious pursuit of the Argentine striker, although convincing Atletico Madrid to sell one of their most valuable assets to a direct rival would be an enormous challenge.

Even if a deal for Alvarez ultimately proves impossible, Barcelona are not expected to revisit the Rashford operation immediately. The club believes significant squad restructuring is necessary before any further moves can be considered, meaning a permanent deal for the Englishman remains on hold unless several specific conditions are met later in the transfer window.

If Mourinho arrives in Madrid, his first move – stealing Rashford?

The first requirement is resolving the striker's position. The second involves reducing both the size of the squad and the wage bill, which would likely require at least one major attacking departure. Raphinha continues to attract lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia, while Ferran Torres and young talent Rooney Bardghji are also generating interest from other clubs.

Finally, any potential revival of negotiations would depend on both Manchester United and Rashford being willing to reopen talks under significantly revised financial terms, with a fee well below the originally agreed €30 million.

While Barcelona continue to assess their options, Rashford is already attracting attention elsewhere. Once his loan expires on June 30, he will formally return to Old Trafford. However, with Manchester United no longer viewing him as part of their long-term plans, his future appears increasingly likely to lie away from the club.