Hansi Flick has reportedly told the Barcelona board to sign Marcus Rashford permanently at the end of the season, though the Manchester United loanee has also been linked with one of their LaLiga rivals.
Rashford joined Barcelona on loan in July after the Catalan giants reached an agreement with Man Utd. Barca have the option to make the transfer permanent for €30million (£26m) next summer.
Many questioned whether the forward would be able to make an impact in Spain following his recent struggles at United.
But Rashford has silenced those doubters by notching seven goals and 11 assists in 24 appearances so far. That includes goals against Newcastle United, Olympiacos and Sevilla.
According to Sport, Flick is ‘prioritising’ Rashford’s permanent signing as he ‘wants the player to stay’.
The Barca boss has been impressed by Rashford’s ‘performance, statistics and professionalism’.
Flick has told the Barca board to do all they can to ensure the Englishman stays beyond this season. Due to financial constraints, though, the Blaugrana will need Rashford to accept a reduced salary.
Flick and the majority of Barca fans are in agreement that Rashford should stay. Indeed, Mundo Deportivo recently held a poll which included the following options: sign Rashford permanently, send him back to United, wait until next summer before making a final decision, and ‘don’t know’.
54.6 per cent of fans voted to keep Rashford, 35.6 per cent voted to offload him, while 6.3 per cent said to wait another six months. The other 3.5 per cent weren’t sure.
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Atletico Madrid enter Marcus Rashford race – report
Barca will be in the driving seat to land the 28-year-old if they can adjust their finances accordingly, but they do need to watch out for potential competition.
Fichajes claim Atletico Madrid have burst into the race for Rashford and are prepared to meet his €30m price tag.
Atleti know Rashford wants to stay in Spain and will swoop in if a permanent transfer to Barca fails to materialise.
Rashford heading to Atleti would be a slap in the face for the majority of Barca fans who want the winger to stay.
‘Perfect’ United target; Barca ruled out of signing chase
Meanwhile, United have identified a French midfielder who would be a ‘perfect fit’ in their team, as per a report.
He will cost €60-65m, though a deal could prove cheaper if Joshua Zirkzee heads in the opposite direction.
Elsewhere, a journalist has claimed Barca have dropped out of the race for an elite Premier League star.