Marcus Rashford may be playing UEFA Champions League football after all, as multiple reports say Manchester United and Barcelona have the makings of a loan deal for the 2025-26 season.

Our friends at Sky Sports say “discussions will center on the portion of wage payment and possible compensation should Barcelona not take up the option to buy.”

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Rashford fell out with Man United boss Ruben Amorim last season and went on loan to Aston Villa for the second half of the campaign, scoring four times with six assists in 17 matches across all competitions.

He did not appear in Man Utd’s 0-0 draw with Leeds in Sweden on Saturday.

Two of those assists came in Champions League knockout round matches, as Villa beat Club Brugge in the Round of 16 before succumbing to eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinals.

The 27-year-old Rashford had played the entirety of his career at Old Trafford before the loan, making 426 appearances while becoming an England star (62 caps, 17 goals).

Marcus Rashford to Barcelona: Good idea?

Rashford has been said to favor a Barca move for some time, and he showed plenty of fuel in the tank during his loan to Villa.

The Sky Sports report says that Juventus also looked into signing Rashford, so Man United wasn’t completely in the lurch when it came to bargaining power. Yet finding someone to take a lot of his big wage packet is a coup considering Amorim wants nothing to do with the player.

Barca have incredible talent out wide, with Lamine Yamal and Raphinha both earning Ballon d’Or talk during the side’s La Liga triumph last season.

But there are plenty of minutes for wingers given Barcelona’s status in so many competitions, and a loan means Rashford won’t have to take a pay cut. There are worse ways to spend a move away from your boyhood club than playing on a Champions League favorite.