The Marcus Rashford dilemma at Barcelona has gotten even more interesting with the arrival of Anthony Gordon.
The two countrymen are direct competitors for minutes at the World Cup, and are also in each other’s way when it comes to a future at Barcelona.
On June 15th, the buy option for 30 million euros goes away. That means it’s really now or never for Barcelona to decide if the price is right to bring the star attacker back to provide much needed depth to the forward line.
They’ll get one more look
at him before then when England play their last friendly against Costa Rica midweek. Recently, Rashford and Gordon have been splitting playing time under Thomas Tuchel. Could a similar dynamic work for the Blaugrana?
Now that Barcelona, all of a sudden, has money, the 30 million euros is really not looking like all that much. You could even look at this as a business opportunity. If Rashford performs at the World Cup, his value will surely surpass that number, and if he doesn’t because maybe he doesn’t get a lot of minutes, Barcelona still gets a solid depth piece who can play in all three attacking positions.
At the moment, the forecast isn’t looking great for a Barcelona and Rashford reunion. It looks like Deco may have already made up his mind, or at least feels comfortable going back to the negotiation table once the World Cup is over. If that’s the approach, however, it’s a gamble.
Looking at Gordon, you see the key attributes that Rashford is missing, that Hansi Flick will absolutely adore. Not only is Gordon an alternative for Rashford, he’s a future replacement for Raphinha because of his ability to press with determination and intelligence.
You’re not going to get that from Rashford, so if you bring him back, it’s something that must be accepted. You should keep pushing him to do the work, but realistically his contributions will come in other areas. He is still a threat in the attack, and he was the team’s best set piece taker.
Is that enough to justify 30 million euros? I honestly think it may be.
It’s low enough to say hey, worst case scenario, we have a talented player who can give others much needed rest. The question is if Rashford would accept such a role, and make an adjustment to his wages to reflect it.
For me, this one isn’t an easy decision. You can see the argument both ways.
I wouldn’t be so fast to write off Rashford just yet though. He was a true team player in his first year, and if Barcelona can make the numbers work, there’s a lot of things he can still uniquely contribute.
The clock is ticking though. The time is now for Barcelona to decide.
