Marcus Rashford’s future is moving closer to a permanent Barcelona stay, but the deal is not finished yet.
According to Sport, Barcelona have agreed personal terms with the 28-year-old forward as they try to turn his loan from Manchester United into a full transfer.
The player’s side appears to be the easier part of the equation. Rashford wants to stay, Barcelona want to keep him, and Hansi Flick is believed to be very happy with what he has brought to the team.
The difficult part is still the club-to-club negotiation. Man United want the agreed fee paid, while Barcelona have been looking for a structure that works better with their financial situation.
Man United and Barcelona are yet to agree transfer fee
Sky Sports previously reported that Barcelona had a permanent option worth around £26 million, but were reluctant to trigger it exactly as written because of their budget limitations.
Rashford’s Barcelona spell has gone better than many expected. After a difficult final period at Manchester United, he needed a fresh start badly.
At Old Trafford, the pressure had become heavy, the criticism constant, and his performances were being judged through years of expectation. In Spain, the mood around him has been different.
He has been able to play with more freedom, and his pace has added a direct weapon to Barcelona’s attack.
Reports in Spain and Catalonia have credited him with a strong loan campaign, including 14 goals and 11 assists, as Barcelona won the league under Flick.
Frenkie de Jong has also publicly backed him to stay, praising the threat he gives Barcelona in attack.
That kind of impact explains why Barcelona are trying to keep him.
Rashford has done well in his spell in La Liga
Rashford is not a typical Barcelona-style winger in the old sense. He is not all short passes and delicate combinations. He is more vertical, more direct and more dangerous in space.
But that might be exactly why he has worked. Barcelona already have technical players.
Rashford gives them something different: speed, power and the ability to turn a defensive line around quickly.
Man United, though, have their own position. They are not expected to simply allow another cheap loan unless it suits them.
Reports have suggested United would prefer a permanent sale rather than another loan, especially because Rashford remains on a big contract and does not appear central to their plans.
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