Barcelona face a major hurdle in their pursuit of Manchester United outcast Marcus Rashford, with Arsenal and Chelsea ready to battle for his signature.

Marcus Rashford has had a sensational start to life at Barcelona. After his struggles at Manchester United, the English international has certainly managed to revive himself at the Spanish club. The Catalan giants are quite impressed with his performances and are seriously considering signing him permanently.

While they are intensifying their efforts to sign the 28-year-old on a permanent basis, Hansi Flick’s team might struggle to get a deal over the line. According to a report from CaughtOffside, Barcelona face a major stumbling block in their pursuit. They might struggle to meet his financial demands, as his wages significantly exceed their Financial Fair Play (FFP) limits.

After a few seasons of struggle at Old Trafford, Rashford was dropped from the squad following a rift with Ruben Amorim. They ended up sending him out on loan at Aston Villa for the second half of the 2024/25 season.

The English international did have an impressive spell, but he couldn’t secure a permanent move to Villa Park. While he was back at his parent club, there was no way back for him. As a result, he ended up joining Barcelona on loan with a buy option worth €35 million.

After a slowish start, the 28-year-old has finally hit top gear, and his performances have impressed Hansi Flick. He has been involved in 14 matches across competitions and has contributed towards 13 goals. On the back of what he has done on and off the pitch, the German manager is personally pushing the club president, Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco to make the move permanent.

Barcelona step up their pursuit of Rashford

The Catalan giants have already stepped up their efforts, but they face a stumbling block because of his massive wages. His current wages at United significantly exceed Barcelona’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) limits.

In order to cope with it, they are preparing a long-term deal that will involve a reduced base salary, but will include performance-based bonuses and image rights incentives. If Rashford is willing to compromise, the deal could go through.

While the buy clause is worth €35 million, Barcelona are pushing to agree a deal at around €30 million. Apart from the Catalan giants, Chelsea and Arsenal are also interested in signing him. They could provide significant competition for his signature.

Both London clubs want more quality in the final third, and they are very closely monitoring the 28-year-old striker in action. They could make a move to sign the 28-year-old, if he wishes to return to the English top flight.