Man Utd strike ‘agreement in principle’ to sign Barcelona winger after stunning Rashford exit claims
A jaw-dropping report has claimed Manchester United have forged an ‘agreement in principle’ to sign Barcelona winger Raphinha amid remarkable claims Marcus Rashford is heading to a different European giant THIS SUMMER.
Barcelona’s financial strife has been well documented and the club intend to cash in on some of their saleable assets once again this summer.
Rather than lose their top tier young talents like Gavi or Pedri, or their guaranteed starters like Ronald Araujo and Frenkie de Jong, Barcelona hope to sever ties with the more fringe elements of their squad.
Raphinha – signed from Leeds United for £55m (add-ons included) – has been listed by many an outlet as being up for sale.
The left-footed Brazil international has returned 37 goal contributions in 78 matches for Barca. However, the emergence of teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has forced Raphinha to take a back seat.
Raphinha rose to prominence during a dazzling two-year spell with Leeds and more than proved he’s capable of making a huge impact in the Premier League.
Now, according to an astonishing report out of Spain (as cited by Goal), Raphinha could return to England by joining Leeds’ bitter rivals Man Utd.
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Raphinha to Man Utd agreed?
The remarkable report states Man Utd and Barcelona are are engaged in ‘full negotiations’ over the 27-year-old’s transfer.
What’s more, it’s then claimed the clubs have ‘already reached an agreement in principle’ worth roughly €50m prior to add-ons.
Signing a new right winger would appear to make sense for United given the Red Devils will listen to offers for Antony, Mason Greenwood and Jason Sancho at season’s end.
Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise is a confirmed target of the club and Sir Jim Ratcliffe in particular. Olise can be signed via a release clause worth approximately £60m.
But per the Spanish press, it’s Raphinha and not Olise who’ll grace Old Trafford next season.
Rashford to replace Mbappe at PSG?
Raphinha would presumably be signed to start on the right side, thus allowing Alejandro Garnacho to feature back in his favoured position on the left wing.
The obvious question to ask is where does Marcus Rashford fit into the equation? Per the report, Rashford’s future actually lays in Paris with PSG.
The article adds ‘at Old Trafford they are clear that Rashford will leave the team to head to Paris.’ The idea there would be Rashford replaces Kylian Mbappe who is heading to Real Madrid as a free agent.
A recent report from the Mirror claimed PSG are prepared to put £75m on the table for Rashford who is valued at £100m by United.
PSG do hold long-term interest in Rashford dating back to 2022. However, it’s important to note that the Spanish outlet in question aren’t known for being among the more reliable publications when it comes to transfer news.
As such, and while Raphinha replacing Rashford at Old Trafford does have its merits, it’s a scenario that certainly requires corroboration from the more reliable sections of the media before it can be taken seriously.
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