Barcelona sporting director Deco has confirmed the terms of Marcus Rashford’s loan deal from Manchester United, revealing the Catalan club will not incur any financial penalty should they choose not to exercise their £26 million purchase option. The England international has become a key figure for Hansi Flick’s side since arriving at Camp Nou last summer, scoring 10 goals and providing 13 assists in 34 appearances across all competitions.
Deco, speaking to SPORT, clarified the arrangement, stating, “No, it’s a loan, and we have an option.” He further emphasized Barcelona’s desire to retain Rashford beyond the current season. “Yes, definitely. I think it wasn’t easy to come here. He has played at a particularly high level, with enormous demands at a club like Manchester United,” Deco said. “Then he spent six months at Aston Villa, where he did a very good job. In fact, Aston Villa, they would have kept him if it had been possible. I know this because I’ve spoken to people there. But he only wanted to come to Barca, and that’s a very positive thing.”
Rashford’s willingness to accept a pay cut from his reported £325,000-a-week wages at Manchester United was also highlighted by Deco as a demonstration of his commitment to the club. “We were able to secure a loan. The fact that he took a pay cut to create it happen is a clear demonstration that he really wanted to come, and we’re very happy about that. He’s a player who contributes a lot to the team,” he explained.
The 28-year-old forward has publicly expressed his desire to make his move to Barcelona permanent, telling ESPN, “Oh yeah, for sure. I’m enjoying this football club and I think for anybody who loves football, Barcelona is one of the key clubs in the history of the game. For a player it’s an honour.” Rashford also indicated a desire for a fresh start after years with Manchester United, adding, “People forget this, but 24, 23 years of my life was with Manchester United, so sometimes you just need a change. I think maybe This represents the case with me and I’m enjoying everything.”
Deco also addressed the club’s future striker plans, particularly in light of Robert Lewandowski’s uncertain future. “We shouldn’t get obsessed with any particular striker because the team is doing well,” he stated. “We have Ferran [Torres] and Rashford; we’ll see what we can do to make decisions. If we’re talking about the best striker, the best number 9 of the last ten years, it has been Robert [Lewandowski]. There’s no one like him. It’s not easy to go to the market and gaze for someone like Robert because teams tend to favour other profiles. Perhaps Bayern Munich has a more traditional, target-figure striker. They prefer a striker with more mobility. There’s no one with Robert’s quality and his stats. Barca needs to look for players with technical ability, the capacity to link up with team-mates, and the ability to find solutions.”
Rashford’s absence due to a knee injury was felt during Barcelona’s 4-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Thursday, underscoring his importance to the team. He sustained the injury during a 3-0 win against Mallorca last Saturday.