With Manchester United just two points away from mathematically securing Champions League qualification for next season, focus is already shifting towards squad planning for 2026/27—both in terms of potential arrivals and departures.

Marcus Rashford is understood to be keen on continuing his spell at Barcelona. If the Catalan club activate the agreed fee set at the start of his loan deal, the move would become permanent.

However, Barcelona’s plans are being complicated by their reported interest in Julian Alvarez, alongside their ongoing financial constraints.

Alvarez is said to be Joan Laporta’s top priority signing, but with a potential fee exceeding €100 million, it would stretch Barcelona’s budget significantly. Even if they managed to fund a move for the Argentine forward, it would likely leave very limited resources to pursue Rashford.

This situation could open the door for other clubs, including AC Milan, to monitor developments closely as the transfer market evolves.

This situation appears to have created an opening for AC Milan.

The Serie A club are also close to securing Champions League qualification and would therefore need to reassess their squad plans ahead of next season.

One player who could be moved on is Rafael Leão.

Leão’s future at San Siro in doubt?

Reports in Italy suggest that while Milan recognise Leão’s talent, they do not fully view him as a world-class, untouchable player. With a reported weekly wage of €123,269, the club could consider cashing in on him this summer and reinvesting the fee into a replacement.

Leão has registered 13 goals and five assists in 38 appearances across all competitions this season. In comparison, Marcus Rashford has produced 13 goals and 10 assists in 45 games, making their overall output relatively comparable.

Furthermore, the Manchester United loanee is understood to be on a significantly higher wage, which could make any potential swap deal unrealistic even before formal talks begin.

AC Milan are also monitoring other targets, including Manuel Ugarte and Joshua Zirkzee, with the latter potentially emerging as a more viable option for the Rossoneri.

Zirkzee struggling for game time at Old Trafford

The Dutch forward has been out of favour at Manchester United for some time, despite arriving on the back of an impressive 2023/24 campaign with Bologna, where he recorded 12 goals and six assists.

Compared to Leão and Rashford’s output this season, Zirkzee’s numbers do not stand out. However, there is a belief that his playing style could be better suited to Serie A than the Premier League, which may make him a more appealing fit for a move back to Italy.

He also registered just one fewer fast break (four) during that season for Bologna than he has managed across his entire spell at Manchester United so far.

His efficiency in front of goal was also notably stronger at the time, with a shooting accuracy of 54.4% compared to his current 43.8%. Likewise, his shot conversion rate of 12.8% has since dropped to 9.5% during his time in England.

His conversion rate has also dropped to an alarming 12.5%, down from 16.4%.

Perhaps even more telling is the fact that Zirkzee attempted 86 shots during the 2023/24 season with Bologna — more than he has managed across his entire spell in England so far (62).

He also registered 31 shots on target in that campaign, a figure he has yet to replicate at Manchester United.

Rogers too costly for Man United

It is understood that Manchester United would prefer to sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa if given the choice between him and Rafael Leão, but the significant difference in transfer fees heavily favours the Milan winger.

AC Milan’s openness to negotiating over Leão, partly influenced by their interest in bringing in Zirkzee (or potentially Marcus Rashford) to feature alongside Christian Pulisic and Alexander Sørloth in a revamped attack, contrasts sharply with Aston Villa’s stance on Rogers.

Villa are determined to keep hold of Rogers and reportedly value him at more than £100 million, making any potential move extremely difficult.

Indeed, AC Milan had previously shown interest in signing the Dutch forward before his move to Old Trafford, with the main obstacle at the time believed to be the agent fees demanded by Kia Joorabchian, which ultimately halted the deal.

With little indication that Zirkzee can revive his Manchester United career under either Michael Carrick or a possible future manager, Joorabchian may now need to accept a reduced financial package in order to facilitate a transfer away from the club.

A deal that could work for all sides

If Leão were to move in the opposite direction, Manchester United supporters could expect a player offering far stronger attacking efficiency. The Portuguese forward currently boasts a 56.1% shot accuracy and a 15.3% conversion rate, both comfortably ahead of Zirkzee’s figures.

He also records an 83.9% pass completion rate, compared to Zirkzee’s 75.1%, while his involvement in duels is significantly higher, having contested 185 one-on-one battles in Serie A this season versus Zirkzee’s 92.

On paper, the exchange appears to suit all parties involved, although whether such a complex deal can actually be completed remains highly uncertain.