Man United and Rashford can breathe a sigh of relief as Barcelona ‘not won over’
Marcus Rashford has already expressed his feelings towards Barcelona, but the England international is still waiting for the club to make a decision
Marcus Rashford is one of the options Barcelona are exploring for their attack(Image: Getty Images)
Manchester United’s hopes of a cash windfall for selling Marcus Rashford have been given a boost with one alternative to the English forward yet to convince Barcelona. Rashford wants to move to the Catalan club permanently but they are making contingency plans in case they opt against triggering the £26million clause in his loan deal.
Rashford’s long-term future is set to be resolved soon, with a permanent departure from Manchester United looking likely. The 28-year-old has spent this season on loan at Barcelona.
However, despite recent reports claiming Barcelona will only make a final decision at the end of the season, sporting director Deco is already working behind the scenes to prepare for next year. According to Spanish outlet Sport, strengthening the forward department is a key priority and he has other names they could target instead of Rashford.
Alongside Rashford, the club are also exploring younger attacking options, including Benfica’s Andreas Schjelderup and Osasuna’s Victor Munoz, while Jan Virgili is viewed as a player who could be brought back from Mallorca.
Virgili, who previously spent time in Barcelona’s youth setup and their ‘B’ team, was sold by the club for €4million last year, with Barca retaining 40 per cent of a future sale and a buy‑back clause.
He could now be brought back for a reported €12m (£10m) – a far smaller fee than what the Spanish giants would need to pay for Rashford.
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However, the same report notes that Barca view Virgili as a ‘rough diamond’, who looks to be way behind in the running against Rashford, with club chiefs ‘not convinced by him’ at this stage in his career.
It’s also said the youngster’s defensive capabilities have been questioned, and while Rashford is said not to ‘stand out’ in the same area, his aerial game is viewed as valuable for Hansi Flick.
The England international is also a player who will eventually have to replace Raphinha, and having those qualities is very important. The fact that Barcelona chiefs are sceptical about Virgili is good news for Rashford and United, with the English forward having one less player to worry about taking his spot next season.
United want to cash in while Rashford has already made it clear that he’d love to make his move permanent. Barca are yet to fully commit to paying the £26m and have explored ways of driving the price down, however, the Reds are digging in their heels in and refusing to budge.
What comes next for Rashford is still uncertain at this stage. The logic behind giving him another chance, especially if Michael Carrick is appointed permanently, has been questioned.
But a return to Old Trafford seems very unlikely at this stage. Rashford himself, meanwhile, has already made his intentions clear that he would like to complete the permanent move to Catalonia. “Of course, what I want is to stay at Barca,” he previously told Sport.
“It’s an end goal, but it’s not the reason why I’m training hard and giving it my best. The purpose is to win. Barca is a huge, fantastic club, built to win titles.”
Rashford has scored 10 goals and provided 13 assists in 39 appearances across all competitions for the Spanish champions.
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