Barcelona are up against the clock as they weigh up whether to make Marcus Rashford 's stay a permanent one.
The England forward has enjoyed his loan spell at Camp Nou, and there is a £26 million option in his contract for Barcelona to keep him beyond the summer.
But while United are holding firm on their asking price, Rashford's camp and Deco have reportedly been in talks to move the deal forward. Meanwhile, Michael Carrick has left the door open for Rashford to come back if things don't work out in Spain.
Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images
Rashford currently earns £300,000 a week at United, putting him among the club's highest-paid players.
But with Barcelona still dealing with financial issues, the club is looking to reduce costs wherever possible. The report out of Spain also mentioned that Rashford is willing to lower his wage demands to help make a permanent move happen.
If there were any doubts about where Rashford wants to play next season, his willingness to take a pay cut makes it clear he sees his future in Catalonia.
United are holding firm on their position that Barcelona must pay the full £26 million fee. After that, the Spanish side would need to reach an agreement with the 28-year-old on personal terms.
The fact that Rashford's representatives have already started discussions with Deco indicates things are moving forward ahead of the 2026 summer window.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is a big fan of Rashford and has been a driving force behind the push to make his loan move permanent this summer.
However, Rashford has run into some disciplinary issues under Flick this season, including being late on more than one occasion.
Erik ten Hag once dropped Rashford for being late to a match against Wolves, although he did come off the bench to make an impact for United later in that game.
Flick has introduced a strict new rule at Barcelona, which was confirmed by Ferran Torres . Players will now face a £35,000 (€40,000) fine if they show up late on matchday.
If Rashford repeats his past mistakes from United, it could turn out to be a costly one under the new system at Barcelona.
Read more:
