The justification for this shift in stance—less than six weeks ago, Deco explicitly named Rashford as a player Barcelona “liked”—is the preference for Liverpool forward Luis Díaz. The Colombia international is deemed to be more versatile, more experienced and more willing to sacrifice himself for the good of the team than Rashford.

With Man United exploring ways to reshape their squad and raise funds, Rashford has emerged as a potential departure. Barcelona view him as a versatile option who could fit into Hansi Flick’s front line,

Rashford can benefit from Nico Williams' rejection of Barca, the Spain forward deciding he could not risk being left unregistered by Hansi Flick's outfit. The