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The two England forwards will be vying for spots in this summer’s World Cup squad — but could they also find themselves competing for roles at Barcelona? The situation is far from straightforward.

Anthony Gordon’s potential transfer to Barcelona has taken the football world by surprise.

Barcelona’s pursuit of the Newcastle United forward came so unexpectedly that Bayern Munich reportedly dismissed the Catalan club’s interest as a negotiation ploy to reduce the price for Marcus Rashford’s possible permanent signing.

However, Barcelona’s intent appears genuine — strong enough that they have outbid Bayern Munich, and Gordon is now expected to finalise his move shortly. With both players operating in similar positions, the question arises: what does this mean for Rashford?

Reports from both sides of the Bay of Biscay differ in specific details, yet none suggest that Barcelona’s deal for Gordon completely ends Rashford’s chances of making his loan move from Manchester United permanent.

Barcelona currently hold an option to sign Rashford on a long-term basis for a £26 million fee, but they have yet to trigger that clause.

Mundo Deportivo reports that Rashford remains a viable option for Barcelona despite Gordon’s expected arrival.

However, they concur with Sky Sports that the financial logic behind Gordon’s transfer aligns better with Barcelona’s current budgetary constraints, even though his transfer fee is nearly three times higher than Rashford’s option price.

Gordon, being three and a half years younger than Rashford, offers better resale potential and, crucially, is likely to command significantly lower wages. Rashford is reportedly earning around £300,000 per week at Old Trafford, which could be a stumbling block for Barcelona’s wage structure.

Nevertheless, there is still optimism for Rashford’s prospects of joining Gordon at Camp Nou.

According to the Mirror, Barcelona view Gordon as a potential centre-forward option to replace the departing Robert Lewandowski.

If that plan materialises, both Gordon and Rashford could coexist in the same lineup rather than competing for a single position.

Further changes could also influence the picture, with speculation suggesting that Raphinha may be on his way out of Barcelona.

Such a departure would not only open up a spot in the team but also release financial resources, potentially making a permanent deal for Rashford more feasible.