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,

MANCHESTER UNITED FORWARD Marcus Rashford is one of five players who have told the club they want to leave Old Trafford this summer. It is understood Rashford, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa,