Marcus Rashford’s future at Manchester United is up in the air after Barcelona signed Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United.
The Spanish giants rushed to sign the Magpies forward in a £70m deal to strengthen their options at the top end of the pitch, with him playing in the same position as the Red Devils loanee.
Rashford spent the 2025/26 season on loan from United at Camp Nou, making 49 appearances in all competitions, scoring an astonishing 14 goals and providing 11 assists.
However, Barcelona appear to have opted for a younger profile in their attacking line, as Gordon is three years younger and could potentially have more time in the squad to be effective in Hansi Flick’s side in the long term.
Sky Sports have reported that there is still a possibility that the Spanish giants will pursue a further contract for Rashford, but it remains to be seen whether they will pursue a new move.
Man United eyeing £115m Premier League striker
Regardless of what happens with the Carrington graduate, Manchester United are already considering targets to strengthen Michael Carrick’s squad for the 2026/27 season.
The club are reportedly eyeing the Premier League talent arriving at Old Trafford as a better forward than Gordon and Rashford on the left.
Manchester United could have to pay a club-record fee of up to £115 million to sign Morgan Rodgers from Aston Villa in the summer transfer window, according to TEAMtalk.
Paul Pogba, who arrived from Juventus in 2016 for £89m, is the club’s current record signing, meaning the signing of the England international is likely to outweigh the Frenchman’s move.
Journalist Ben Jacobs recently named the Red Devils alongside Premier League champions Arsenal as one of the teams rushing to sign the attacker.
It remains to be seen whether INEOS are prepared to pay the club’s record fee to bring the former Manchester City academy candidate to Old Trafford.
Why Rodgers is better than Rashford and Gordon
United could make the most of England’s options on the left by allowing Rashford to join Barcelona for a second time, linking up with Gordon, and signing Rodgers as a ‘replacement’ in the team.
During his time in La Liga, the United winger created eight goals and eight ‘big chances’ in 32 games for the Spanish side, while Gordon scored six goals and created five ‘big chances’ for Newcastle.
Rodgers surpassed both players in his impressive performances for Villa, playing on the left and in the middle as a number 10, scoring more goals and creating more “big chances” than both players.
25/26PL | gordon | rogers |
|---|---|---|
Appearance | 26 | 37 |
xG | 8.83 | 6.78 |
the goal | 6 | 10 |
A big opportunity has arisen | 5 | 13 |
Shah | 3.37 | 4.30 |
assist | 2 | 6 |
The 23-year-old attacker is two years younger than Gordon and has scored four more goals and created eight more “big chances” in the Premier League this season, suggesting he could be more effective as a team winner.
Rodgers has also made a splash on the European stage, scoring three goals and providing five assists in 15 Europa League games, including one goal and one assist in the final against Freiburg earlier this month.
He also scored 14 goals and 13 assists in all competitions for the Villans in 2024/25, including 8 goals and 10 assists in the league, showing that his current form is more than just a fad.
The Villa sensation has all the makings of a future Old Trafford icon. That’s because he’s a young homegrown talent who has proven his quality in the Premier League and Europe and is better than Rashford or Gordon.
Instead of betting on a player with no experience in England, the Red Devils could spend the money needed to bring in proven quality to strengthen Carrick’s squad and build a side that can challenge for the title next season.
Rodgers is a superstar on the rise and United need to work hard to ensure he doesn’t drop to rivals such as Arsenal. That’s because Rodgers has been in exceptional form for Villa and could be a great addition to Carrick’s side in the side.
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