Borussia Dortmund are making a concerted effort to beat rivals AC Milan and Barcelona with the signature of Marcus Rashford.
More talks are planned with Rashford's entourage this week, but the Bundesliga side have a good relationship with Manchester United and are looking to structure a deal based on the model used for Jadon Sancho last season.
AC Milan advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic confirmed their efforts, adding: “I know Marcus well, I played with him when he was young. It's not an easy operation, but we haven't spoken to him yet. We'll see if we can talk to him.'
Dortmund are close to completing the sale of Donyell Malen to Aston Villa and have discussed loans for Chelsea's Carney Chukwuemeka and Brentford's Kevin Schade, but Rashford is their priority.
Rashford is on loan after falling out of favor under United boss Ruben Amorim.
United value Rashford at around £60 million, while he earns more than £350,000 a week.
Any deal for Rashford will likely focus on who is willing to pay the bulk of his wages.
A deal could be similar to the one that saw Sancho signed on loan from United in the second half of last season, with the suitor paying more based on success and performances.
Monaco and West Ham are among the other clubs to have shown interest in Rashford.
Rashford's most recent appearance for United came on December 12, when he started against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League.
The United Academy graduate has made 426 appearances for the club, scoring 138 goals while providing 63 assists.
After initially being left out by Amorim, Rashford indicated he would be open to a new challenge away from United.
Amorim then questioned Rashford's advisers and suggested the forward had not decided to make the statement himself.
“It's a difficult situation,” Amorim said. 'I understand that these players have a lot of people around them and sometimes make choices that are not the player's first idea. I understand, I can separate things.
“I'm always there to help Marcus, just like any other player.”
Rashford's current United contract runs until the summer of 2028, but his future is likely outside the club.
United play Arsenal away in the FA Cup third round on Sunday, but Rashford was not pictured traveling with the squad for the match.
Due to illness, he was not part of the selection for United's match against Liverpool last weekend. Amorim subsequently stated that Rashford had recovered and is now available for selection.
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