England international Marcus Rashford has reportedly turned down the chance to make his loan move to Aston Villa permanent, signalling his intent to pursue a lifelong ambition of playing for Spanish giants FC Barcelona — even if it means taking a significant pay cut.
The 26-year-old forward, currently on loan at Villa from Manchester United, has impressed under manager Unai Emery, netting four goals and contributing five assists in 17 appearances. Despite this resurgence in form, Rashford is said to view his long-term future elsewhere and not in Birmingham.
According to a report by The Mirror, Aston Villa hold an option to make the move permanent for a fee of around £40 million. However, Rashford has decided against extending his stay, instead setting his sights on a move to La Liga.
The Manchester-born attacker is reportedly willing to accept a substantial reduction in wages to facilitate a transfer to Barcelona. Rashford currently earns approximately £350,000 per week at Old Trafford, but understands that his prospects at United have diminished, especially under the management of Ruben Amorim, who is expected to lead the club moving forward.
While Rashford remains keen on a fresh start at Camp Nou, the financial realities facing Barcelona may complicate a deal.
The Catalan club are still navigating La Liga’s stringent financial fair play regulations, which have previously hampered the registration of players such as Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor.
In addition, the league is currently investigating whether Barcelona’s recent €100 million sale of VIP boxes at the soon-to-be-renovated Camp Nou meets financial compliance standards.
Rashford is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury and was absent from Aston Villa’s 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-final. It is unclear whether he will return to the pitch before the end of the season.
Nonetheless, the forward appears committed to pursuing his Barcelona dream. Whether the transfer materialises will largely depend on whether the Spanish club can resolve its ongoing financial constraints in time.
According to The Mirror, Villa hold an option to sign Rashford permanently for around £40 million.
