FC Barcelona’s offices saw some unexpected movement today as Deco, the club’s sporting director, sat down with Arturo Canales, Marcus Rashford’s agent. According to SPORT, the meeting was meant to lay the groundwork for negotiations with Manchester United ahead of the summer.
The discussions are still very much in the early stages, but it’s clear Barcelona don’t want to leave anything to chance. Deco is exploring how Rashford’s loan could turn into a permanent deal, while also testing the waters on the 30
million euro purchase option that United say is non-negotiable. Kostas Theoharides, a well-connected figure in English football who works in the same agency as Canales, was also reportedly present.
Rashford’s impact since arriving has been hard to ignore. Deco praised him publicly two weeks ago, saying: “We are very happy with him. It is not easy to come here. He is a player who has competed at a very high level, with enormous demands at a club like Manchester United. Then he spent six months at Aston Villa, where he did a very good job.
“In fact, Aston Villa, if they could, would have kept him; I know because I spoke with people there. But he only wanted to come to Barça, and that is very positive. We managed to secure a loan. The fact that he came here taking a pay cut to do it is a clear sign that he really wanted to come, and we are very happy with that. He is a player who contributes a lot to us.”
Deco also made it clear there’s no penalty if the purchase option isn’t exercised, though at this point that seems unlikely.
Still, the road to a permanent move is not 100% smooth. Manchester United are firm on the price, and Rashford’s wages are higher than what Barcelona would normally be willing to offer. Some reports suggest he would have to accept a pay cut to stay, following the path of others in the squad who have already adjusted their contracts.
Another complication: Barcelona’s attack is stacked. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha are absolute pillars of the team, other forwards are competing for minutes, and every decision affects the team’s dynamics. According to El Nacional, Rashford feels there might be a “hidden hand” behind the club’s hesitation, possibly linked to internal hierarchies. Still, Robert Lewandowski is not going to stay for much longer, given his age, and there is always room for a player who can play on the wing or through the middle and provide an attacking spark.
On the pitch, Rashford recently returned from a minor knee knock, although he did not feature against Levante.
