FC Barcelona are in the final stages of signing Marcus Rashford from Manchester United

Marcus Rashford is heading to Barcelona. (Image credits - Grok)

Manchester United's star winger Marcus Rashford has agreed to personal terms with FC Barcelona for a loan deal until the end of the season. The deal is now in its final stages as reported by Sky Sports.

According to reports from utddistrict.co.uk, Rashford's representatives have met with Barcelona officials in Lisbon, and they have set a deadline for the Catalan club to finalise the terms.

The loan deal would provide Rashford with a new challenge after a lackluster couple of years at Manchester United, where both his individual as well as team performance had come under a lot of scrutiny.

Manchester United currently stand at 14th place in the Premier League points table, experiencing their worst standing ever in a Premier League campaign (their earlier record is 7th ranking).

Despite the poor run of results, new manager Ruben Amorim still decided not to include Marcus Rashford in his plans, as the Englishman was again left out of United’s squad for the game against Brighton.

Rashford has massively struggled since Ruben Amorim's arrival. (Image credits - FMT, License Details)

As FourFourTwo notes, Rashford has played 426 times for United, scoring 138 goals. However, this season, Rashford has just contributed 4 goals and 1 assist in his 15 Premier League appearances due to his limited number of appearances. However, his lackluster performances are the primary reason for his exclusion from the new manager’s plans.

Complexities of the deal with Barcelona

Considering their financial constraints, signing Rashford on loan would be a coup for Barcelona. As The Athletic reports, the club needs to free up salary space to accommodate Rashford's wage, which could be achieved by selling players like Eric Garcia and Ansu Fati. 

This move would allow Barcelona to bring in a once world-class player without breaking the bank. Rashford's arrival would provide a boost to their attacking lineup, which does not have enough options on the bench for now. However, with insurgence in the form of Raphinha, it makes it seem difficult for Rashford to get a starting spot in his loan tenure for this season. 

Manchester United would also benefit from this loan deal by saving a significant amount on Rashford's wages. As Manchester Evening News notes, the club is currently struggling financially, and offloading Rashford's salary would be a welcome relief. 

The move will also allow Rashford to rekindle his form and perform at the world-class level that he showed in his early seasons at Manchester United.