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Manchester United will look to trim the deadwood from their squad further as INEOS prepares for a pivotal summer.
The plan is to raise as much as £100 million through player sales, with the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford earmarked for permanent exits.
Barcelona have an option to buy the Mancunian for €30 million, but they have been playing games over the fee for a while now.
Given their acute financial crisis, the Catalan giants are trying to bring the final price down, while the Red Devils feel their academy graduate is worth twice that amount given his imperious form.
Marcus Rashford has impressed at Barcelona
The English loanee has 10 goals and 13 assists this season, an impressive return considering the minutes he has played.
As relayed by F365, the Spanish side will try and agree another loan deal with the Old Trafford side, but should INEOS continue to insist on a permanent deal, they have cooked up a brilliant plan.
What Hansi Flick needs is a striker to replace Robert Lewandowski and a centre-back, and they plan to raise that money by moving on the England international as soon as they buy him outright.
They will make a decent profit from the operation, and INEOS will not be too pleased as they could have potentially earned the same amount if not for Rashford’s insistence on only joining the Camp Nou outfit.
Bold plan
“The English star has done enough to convince the Camp Nou to exercise their €30 million purchase option. However, there’s a major obstacle that complicates the deal: Barcelona can’t afford his high salary at Manchester United, which is €17 million net per year. Furthermore, their budget isn’t particularly large either.
“Laporta and Deco’s priority is to sign a striker to replace Robert Lewandowski, whose contract will not be renewed, and to bring in a world-class center-back.
“They are also considering adding a full-back and a new midfielder. All of this means that Rashford is not a top priority, and Barça are unsure whether it’s worth keeping him. Therefore, the plan is to request another loan from Manchester United.
“However, those at Old Trafford have already made it clear that they will only consider transfer offers for the 28-year-old striker. And this has opened up a new scenario.
INEOS won’t be pleased
“Because Laporta and Deco have begun to consider the idea of signing Rashford, with the intention of selling him for a higher price, taking advantage of the interest shown by other clubs. And there are some suitors who could be willing to offer as much as 60 million.”
Whatever happens, United must look to move on from Marcus Rashford this summer, with the club eyeing a left wing replacement.
Feature image Alex Caparros via Getty Images
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