In Barça's offices, they keep a close eye on Marcus Rashford, who remains an attractive option. Although the Catalan club is considering other alternatives to strengthen their attack, the English forward's name has never disappeared from the radar of Joan Laporta and Deco.
Rashford finished the season on loan at Aston Villa, where he regained confidence and prominence. His performance in recent months has reopened the debate at Camp Nou, where they are seriously considering his addition for next season.
The 27-year-old forward has no intention of returning to Manchester United, where his cycle seems completely over. In addition, Rubén Amorim doesn't count on him, a coach who has not hidden his discomfort over certain episodes with the player.
The red devils have made it clear that they will not give away their star forward unless they receive equivalent compensation. The price they are considering is around €50M, although they are also open to other formulas.
Exchanges that could facilitate the forward's arrival in Barcelona
One of these options involves including players from the current Barça squad in the deal. According to reports, at Old Trafford they have identified two specific names who could fit perfectly into Amorim's plans.
The first is Ronald Araújo, who has lost prominence in Hans-Dieter Flick's plans. Although he renewed his contract in January, his situation within the team has changed drastically.
The Uruguayan center-back has been relegated behind Íñigo Martínez, Pau Cubarsí, Eric García, and Christensen. Everything indicates that his departure is a matter of time, and United see him as an ideal profile for their defense.
At Barça they no longer consider him indispensable, and they could use him as a makeweight to lower the cost of the Rashford deal. It would not be the first time the Catalan club has opted for such a move.
However, Araújo is not the only Barça player who could be included in the negotiation for the English international. From Manchester they have also shown interest in Fermín López, a midfielder who has played a secondary role under Flick.
Despite his quality and the potential he has shown at certain moments, he has not managed to establish himself as a starter. The German coach has used him sparingly, something that could hasten his departure.
Barça study how to balance the squad without losing quality
Laporta and Deco are considering different scenarios to strengthen the squad without upsetting the financial balance. The possibility of bringing in Rashford without making a multi-million euro outlay is tempting, as long as they sacrifice names with little prominence.
The sporting management knows they must be smart in the market, which is why they do not rule out any formula that could bring the English forward to Camp Nou. The coming weeks will be key to determine whether there will be white smoke or not.
