Barcelona handed boost in race to sign Manchester United star Marcus Rashford in fresh transfer twist: Reports

Barcelona have the upper hand in the race to sign Manchester United star Marcus Rashford after AC Milan winger Noah Okafor's failed transfer away, according to reports.

Rashford has fallen out of favor at Old Trafford and an exit seems imminent for the England international. He has not featured for the Red Devils since being excluded from the squad to face Manchester City in December.

Rashford then made his intentions clear after stating in an interview that he was 'ready for a new challenge.' The winger has now been linked with a host of European outfits.

AC Milan and Barcelona seem like the leading contenders to secure his services. However, SPORT now reports that Blaugrana have received a major boost in their pursuit of Rashford (via Barca Universal).

AC Milan were credited with an interest in a loan move for Rashford this month and the departure of Noah Okafor was supposed to facilitate the Manchester United star's signing. However, Okafor's move to RB Leipzig fell through after his medical tests.

The German club reportedly canceled the transfer after discovering that Okafor wouldn't be available for up to four weeks due to injury, making a six-month loan deal redundant (via Fabrizio Romano).

The Swiss winger has now returned to Milan and as a result, the Serie A side would struggle to accommodate Rashford and his wages if they sign him in this window.

The aforementioned outlet claims that AC Milan have been forced to pause their move for Rashford, handing Barcelona the opportunity to swoop in and sign the Manchester United forward.

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Manchester United star Marcus Rashford 'prioritizing' move to Barcelona - Reports

According to another report from SPORT, Marcus Rashford is prioritizing a move to Barcelona this month (via GOAL). However, the England international has issued an ultimatum to the club.

The outlet claims that Barcelona boss Hansi Flick is pushing to sign the 27-year-old winger, having tried to sign him when he was in charge at Bayern Munich. However, the club's hierarchy are reportedly divided on the potential move, questioning whether Rashford is the right fit for them.

Blaugrana are only considering a loan move for the Englishman this month. Although Rashford is keen to join the club, he has set a deadline of January 15 for the club to give him a definitive answer.

Rashford has registered 426 appearances for Manchester United since his first-team promotion in 2016, scoring 138 goals and providing 63 assists.