Marcus Rashford is reportedly still hopeful of completing a 'dream switch' to Barcelona during this summer's transfer window.
The English forward joined Aston Villa on loan from Manchester United in the latter stages of the January market, and he has featured twice for Unai Emery's side since his arrival, coming off the bench against Tottenham Hotspur and Ipswich Town.
Villa have the chance to sign the 27-year-old on a permanent basis during this summer's transfer window for a fee in the region of £40m, and it is thought to be unlikely that he will play for Man United again.
Rashford had been holding out for a move to Barcelona during the winter window, but the Catalan outfit were ultimately unable to make a deal work from a financial point of view, and Villa quickly emerged as the favourites to sign him.
According to The Sun, the forward has not given up hope of making the move to Barcelona, who are bidding to bring in a left-sided attacker at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
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Rashford 'hopeful' of joining Barcelona this summer
Barcelona sporting director Deco recently confirmed that the Catalan outfit would be looking to sign a player in that area of the field at the end of the campaign.
"We have players who can play in various positions: [Dani] Olmo, Raphinha, Fermin [Lopez]... but it's true that we might be missing a player on the left wing," Raphinha told SPORT.
"It's not that it's an absolute priority because Raphinha is performing perfectly and Fermin can play there even though it's not his position. If you look at the squad, maybe we could have one more player there."
However, when questioned on a potential January move for Rashford, Deco added: "The winter transfer market is always difficult. It is true that there were important moments for Barca in the past, such as the arrival of Edgar Davids, but there is no Davids available on the market today. It is difficult because the good players, those who can contribute, are not available.
"It is true that Rashford was mentioned, that he could have come, but we were not desperately looking for a player either. We knew that we were getting players back, that others were going to reach their best form. If he could have come it would have been good, but it was not a priority."
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Where will Rashford end up this summer?
Rashford has a contract at Man United until June 2028, and while it is not impossible for him to play for Man United again, it is difficult to imagine him turning out for the Red Devils while Ruben Amorim is at the helm.
Villa, as it stands, are in the driving seat, with the club having a £40m purchase option, but it remains to be seen whether Emery's side take up the opportunity, as it depends on his performances in the next few months.
There is undoubtedly interest from Barcelona, but Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams is thought to be the priority in that position, and unless Rashford puts up some serious numbers at Villa before the end of the campaign, then it is difficult to see him joining the Catalan outfit.
Matt Law
