Marcus Rashford Open To Serie A Move In 2026 As Spanish Press Continue To Hound Barcelona Star

Marcus Rashford is reportedly being monitored by a host of Serie A sides as the Englishman continues to face scrutiny in Barcelona.

Marcus Rashford Faces Harsh Criticism From Spanish Press

After an impressive start to his Barcelona career, Marcus Rashford has started to face heavy criticism from the Spanish press and questions have been cast over his future in LaLiga.

The most recent critiques came during Barcelona’s 3-0 defeat by Chelsea in the Champions League, as Rashford failed to make an impact after coming on as a substitute at half-time.

Changing the tide of the match was never going to be an easy task for both Barcelona and Rashford, as the Spanish side went down to 10-men just before the break following Ronald Araujo’s dismissal.

Rashford touched the ball just 18-times during his 45-minutes on the pitch and only one of these came in the opposition’s box, as the Brit struggled to get into the game.

This underwhelming performance was highlighted by the Spanish press, as Marca awarded the 28-year-old’s display a five and Mundo Deportivo harshly claimed that Rashford ‘couldn’t swim against the tide.’

Receiving this type of criticism is a harsh reality for Rashford, as the Barcelona loanee has contributed to 15-goals in 17 appearances across all competitions (6G + 9A) and has worked his way back to the England national team.

Leaving Manchester United on loan appears to have rejuvenated the English international and Rashford is unlikely to make a return to Old Trafford in 2026.

The Red Devils have struggled tremendously in recent seasons and multiple players have been linked with a move away, with Mason Mount attracting interest from Juventus.

These ongoing issues will deter Rashford from making a move back to Manchester and Barcelona will have the option to purchase the 28-year-old on a permanent basis at the end of the season.

Signing Rashford would cost the Spanish side €30 million, which could be a difficult task for Barcelona given their recent financial struggles and may open the door to a move elsewhere.

Serie A Move An Option For Marcus Rashford

Prior to his move to Barcelona, Rashford was heavily linked with a move to Italy’s top division and was close to joining AC Milan on two separate occasions.

The first instance came before Rashford’s loan move to Aston Villa in January of this year, as the 28-year-old looked to find some form following a tough run with Manchester United.

Negotiations were reignited during the summer transfer window but AC Milan were unwilling to meet Rashford’s salary demands and the deal collapsed.

The Rossoneri may be willing to re-enter talks over a move for the Englishman if Barcelona do not activate their €30m buy-option, as Massimiliano Allegri is said to be a huge admirer of the forward.

Signing another goal-threat in 2026 is a priority for Allegri as Santiago Gimenez continues to underwhelm and Milan are also interested in signing Mateo Retegui – as the Italian pushes for a return to Italy.

Alternatively, Rashford could consider a move to Napoli after seeing how well Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund have performed since signing from Manchester United.

McTominay joined the Partenopei ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, going on to score 12 league goals and win the Serie A MVP award after guiding Napoli to another Scudetto.

Antonio Conte’s side have struggled to meet their previous standards so far and the Italian is reportedly keen on adding another attacking spark next-year.

Both Milan and Napoli will have to make some room for the Englishman’s arrival, as Rashford is reportedly earning €14m per year after taking a 15% pay-cut to join Barcelona.