Marcus Rashford: Why Barcelona are still hesitant to close £30m deal with Man United | OneFootball

This is arguably Marcus Rashford’s brightest start to a league campaign.

He has been a hit at Camp Nou. In 14 appearances for Barcelona, the Manchester United academy graduate has delivered 13 goal contributions: six goals and seven assists.

His loan move to Barcelona has worked wonders, giving him the jump start he so desperately needed.

After being dropped from Ruben Amorim’s squad and missing several United matchday selections thereafter, many feared the 28-year-old’s career was heading for a downturn.

But Rashford secured a loan switch to Aston Villa. At Villa Park, he was decent, registering 10 goal contributions in 17 games, until a season-ending injury cut short his resurgence under Unai Emery.

A permanent return to Villa was on the table last summer, but Rashford instead sealed a loan exit to Barcelona.

And at Barca, he has been a revelation. As highlighted above, he is emerging as a reliable source of goals. But it is not just the goals; he is playing with intent, taking responsibility, and tracking back when needed.

Some believe he has done enough to earn a permanent Camp Nou switch.

So what are the Spanish champions thinking?

There has been a suggestion that Barca hope Rashford will agree to a pay cut to fit their wage structure. At the same time, they are also keen to negotiate a deal below his £30 million option-to-buy option.

With this bold stance likely to see them miss out, especially with top clubs now closely monitoring Rashford, it has left some wondering why Barcelona are undecided.

Flick believes Rashford has not hit his ceiling

“Hansi Flick is satisfied with his performance, but still expects a little more from him. He wants him to improve his effectiveness and decision-making,” writes AS, shedding light on the club’s hesitation.

Interestingly, the Spanish outlet also notes:

“There is still a long way to go before the club makes a final decision; time that he doesn’t have, because he knows perfectly well that with Raphinha’s return, his chances of enjoying so many minutes and starting positions will not be the same.”

Challenge set

Rashford has proven his reliability in recent weeks, starting all but one of Barca’s last 11 matches.

He has built momentum, and now he must ride it.

Flick believes Rashford still has more to give, so now it’s about repaying his manager’s faith in him. Rashy needs to sharpen up, become more ruthless, more clinical. If he delivers, the German tactician will have little choice but to keep him on the side.

Raphinha was widely tipped to operate as a No.10 this season. If Rashford continues to soar, Flick may well lean into that plan, leaving the Barca hierarchy with no choice but to sign the Mancunian.

Featured image Alex Caparros via Getty Images

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