Marcus Rashford's long-term future at Barcelona is uncertain, with Premier League and European clubs expressing an interest in the Manchester United star. Rashford has been impressive since joining Barcelona on loan, with a return to Old Trafford for next season not ruled out.

The 28-year-old joined the Spanish heavyweights on a temporary basis last summer, which included a £26million purchase-option clause. At present, there's no definitive sign whether or not that will be triggered, with the latest developments putting United in a favourable position.

Barcelona are believed to be eager to sign Rashford on a permanent basis, but there have been hints that they could attempt to secure him for less than the agreed-upon clause.

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However, United are holding firm and have seemingly landed an advantage in negotiations with Barcelona as English and European clubs have made enquiries over his availability, according to ESPN.

Their report has also claimed that he could end up back at United. Either scenario seems to be a win for his parent club as they either get a top player for next season or sell for a fairly significant fee following such a good spell in Spain.

Rashford has somewhat struggled to demonstrate his worth over the past few months, with his playing time significantly reduced following Raphinha's return from injury. The Brazilian international and Lamine Yamal are Hansi Flick's preferred wingers, which has seen Rashford relegated to a substitute role.

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He has started just one of Barcelona's last eight matches in all competitions and was given a mere 20 minutes across both legs of their Champions League last-16 victory over Newcastle United. He remained on the bench for the second leg.

Although Rashford has previously stated that he doesn't mind not always being in the starting line-up, he is unlikely to be too happy, especially with the World Cup looming.

He has still been picked in Thomas Tuchel's squad for upcoming friendlies, but it's fair to say Anthony Gordon may currently be ahead of him in the pecking order.

Guaranteed playing time is likely to be a crucial factor in his final decision about where he will be next season, and it certainly seems as though Barcelona are taking that into consideration.

The Catalan club are also expected to be in the market for a long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski, and it remains to be seen if they can allocate funds to both that and signing Rashford.

If Barca are reluctant to stump up the £26million, United could comfortably raise their valuation given his standing and displays over recent months.

Conversely, he could be brought back into the squad at Old Trafford with Ruben Amorim no longer at the helm and Michael Carrick a known admirer of his abilities.

Precisely who takes over permanently could prove crucial for Rashford, with Carrick only the caretaker manager until the campaign concludes.

Just one loss since he assumed control puts him in a strong position to land the role, but there are other contenders for United that have been both linked and suggested, such as Diego Simeone, Roberto De Zerbi, Carlo Ancelotti, Luis Enrique and Oliver Glasner.