Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford was shown last night the difficulties of securing a move to Barcelona this winter as the Catalan club beat Benfica in a nine-goal thriller in the Champions League.

This week, reports have circulated suggesting that all options remain on the table for Rashford this winter. MEN Sport reported at the beginning of the transfer window that the forward had rejected approaches from Saudi Arabia and Turkey as he searched for a move which could further his career.

Rashford is not thought to have given up hope of returning to the United squad but has admitted that a new challenge away from Old Trafford is something he would be up for exploring. The move which appeals most to the Englishman is to Barcelona with Sport reporting on Tuesday night that the winger's representatives had met with the Catalan club's officials in Lisbon prior to the match with Benfica.

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While Barcelona would be interested in bringing Rashford on board, they would need to free up some salary space to accommodate him. Journalist Fabrizio Romano has suggested that selling Eric Garcia to Como and Ansu Fati to Girona would help to fund his wage.

However, Garcia remains a key figure in the Barcelona squad, as proven when he made a goalscoring appearance off the bench when they beat Benfica 5-4 in the Champions League. But while Garcia continues to be used by the La Liga outfit, the reality is that his exit becomes less likely leading to Rashford's Barca dream dwindling further away.

In the meantime, there is no sign at this stage that Rashford will be returning to the United first team any time soon.