Marcus Rashford’s loan to Barcelona has taken a significant step closer to the finishing line after the Manchester United star agreed to a significant salary sacrifice to get a move over the line, reports in Spain have revealed.

AC Milan were considered frontrunners before dropping out of the race to sign Manchester City defender Kyle Walker instead. AS Monaco and Borussia Dortmund have also been linked. But it is now Barcelona at the forefront of the chase, and the Blaugrana are attempting to orchestrate a blockbuster swoop.

Hansi Flick has the best-performing attack in the Champions League so the Manchester United forward feels like an odd fit