Manchester United sell Marc Jurado three years after Barcelona move

Manchester United have sold teenage defender Marc Jurado to Espanyol, three years after he joined the club from their fierce rivals Barcelona.

The 19-year-old has been a regular in the academy set-up since he arrived in the summer of 2020, but he leaves the club in search of an opportunity at senior level. United sources said the player was also deemed unlikely to become a first-team player at the club.

The Manchester Evening News revealed earlier this week United were considering a permanent sale of the right-back, though they were not actively looking to move him on this summer.

It is understood United have received a nominal fee for Jurado, but have insisted on a generous sell-on clause that could earn them millions in the future. The terms have been described as 'favourable to United in both the short and long term.'

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Jurado was on the scoresheet for a youthful United side in their pre-season defeat to Wrexham in San Diego. The youngster found the net with a composed finish past Ben Foster in the last action of the first half at the Snapdragon Stadium.

The teenage right-back has made good progress since joining the club's youth ranks in 2020 and received a call-up to the first-team squad with a place on the bench against Nottingham Forest in April.

Jurado, who was born in Sabadell, began his career with Can Rull before making the switch to Barcelona's famous La Masia academy, where he spent nine years before allowing his contract to run out and signing for United three years ago.

He signed his professional United deal in April 2021, and has trained with the first team on a number of occasions. He also travelled with the squad to Spain