Man United face Marcus Rashford transfer 'standoff' with Barcelona as £35m desire revealed

Manchester United and Barcelona could find themselves at a stand-off over a permanent deal for winger Marcus Rashford, according to a report.

The England international made the switch to Camp Nou on loan with an option to buy during the summer transfer window, and he has already made headlines for the right reasons.

Rashford inspired Barcelona to a 2-1 win over Newcastle United in their opening Champions League clash last week, scoring a fine header and a venomous long-range strike at St James' Park.

The 27-year-old's man-of-the-match performance reignited talk surrounding his long-term future, although Barcelona are understood to have a £26m option to make Rashford's deal permanent at the end of the campaign.

However, the Red Devils allegedly plan to renege on their initial agreement, as the Daily Star claims that Man United now want a higher fee to sanction Rashford's sale at the end of the season.

Man United 'raise asking price' for Rashford amid Barcelona uncertainty

The 20-time English champions are now apparently after £35m to let Rashford depart on a permanent basis, while Barcelona are 'banking' on doing a deal for the initially agreed £26m.

As a result, the two former Champions League winners are at risk of a 'stand-off' over Rashford's future, but the player himself is 'determined' to secure a permanent move to Hansi Flick's side at the end of the season.

The attacker memorably went public with his intentions to seek out a new challenge last year, after which Ruben Amorim froze him out of the squad and gave the green light to a loan move to Aston Villa for the second half of the season.

Rashford came good under Unai Emery with four goals and six assists from 17 appearances, but Villa decided against spending the £40m to keep him at Villa Park; now a questionable decision given they have only scored one goal in their first five Premier League matches this season.

Regardless of Barcelona's decision, Rashford apparently has no plans to ever return to Old Trafford, and he will look to advance his career elsewhere in 2026 if a permanent move to Camp Nou falls through.

The attacker was dropped to the bench for the Blaugrana's 3-0 La Liga win over Getafe at the weekend, allegedly due to being late for training, although Flick gave a different reason when asked about Rashford's demotion.

Rashford to Barcelona: How much is Man United attacker worth?

By the time the 2025-26 season ends, Rashford will be about to enter the last two years of his Man United contract, meaning that the Red Devils can still obtain a healthy amount for their academy graduate.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly has no intention of letting Rashford head out of the door for a cut-price fee, although his transfer value will ultimately be based on how he performs in the coming months.

Should Rashford continue to shine for Flick, Man United would be well within their rights to demand £35m to £40m, although they will be in a weaker negotiating position if the 27-year-old falters.

Rashford is set to leave Man United permanently having registered 138 goals and 78 assists in 426 matches for the Red Devils, but his hopes of joining Barca on a long-term contract have already suffered a blow following a £97.6m decision.