Barcelona appear to be stalling on a long-term deal for Marcus Rashford whose Manchester United contract still has over two years with a return still a possible solution
Marcus Rashford left winger of Barcelona and England during the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final between FC Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid at Spotify Camp Nou on March 3, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain
Marcus Rashford wants to turn his Barcelona loan deal into a permanent move(Image: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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You can watch plenty of highlights, you can read up about him, you can ask mates who are better informed on La Liga matters. But, let’s be honest, it is hard to know the extent to which Barcelona are happy with the contribution of Marcus Rashford since he joined them on loan last summer.
A lot of the feedback and vibes appear to be very positive, and the consensus is that Rashford would love to make the move permanent. But to be fair, why wouldn’t he? It’s Barcelona.
What is harder to discern is whether Barcelona want Rashford on a permanent deal. Hansi Flick, the coach, has been suitably complimentary about Rashford, describing him as a ‘good option’ and praising his finishing prowess and his versatility. Which is nice.
But having scored twice when starting in the first-phase win at St James’ Park last August, Rashford returned to Newcastle as a substitute last Tuesday and was given 20 minutes to make an impression. As much as Flick likes Rashford, he has used him relatively sparingly.
He has started 14 of Barcelona’s 27 La Liga matches. He has started four of Barcelona’s nine Champions League matches. His numbers are reasonable. Five goals and four assists in the Champions League, four goals and eight assists in La Liga.
He started three of Barcelona’s five Copa Del Rey matches, scoring once and assisting once. In the two Supercopa games - against Athletic Club and Real Madrid in Saudi Arabia - he made two substitute appearances, without a goal or an assist.
He has had the odd injury issue and on the face of it, all the numbers tell you Rashford has, so far, done well in Spain but has not been startling.
They also tell you, by the way, that Rashford has not got an excessive amount of miles on the clock this season. Thomas Tuchel likes him and will almost certainly be including him in his World Cup squad.
Hansi Flick has very much used the attacker sporadically
Hansi Flick has very much used the attacker sporadically
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And the England manager will have a player who should be a lot of fresher than quite a few at the tournament. If Rashford is one of the stars of World Cup 2026 - and that is not out of the question - then that £26million option-to-buy will look like a no-brainer for Barcelona.
But their transfer policy can be complicated by politics and by finances. No wonder the picture for Rashford’s future is still not clear.
But what should be clear is that a way back at Manchester United should not be as unthinkable as most people seem to think it is. Whether it is Michael Carrick or someone else, surely it is clean-slate time if the permanent move to Barcelona does not go through?
Michael Carrick has always been an admirer of Marcus Rashford - and a Manchester return could still be an option
Michael Carrick has always been an admirer of Marcus Rashford - and a Manchester return could still be an option(Image: OLI SCARFF, AFP via Getty Images)
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Because here’s a thing. It is just over a decade since Rashford made his professional debut, scoring twice in United’s 5-1 Europa League win over FC Midtjylland on February 25, 2016. Yet for someone who does not turn 29 until October, the best could still be to come. This is a player who should be in his prime.
Can his relationship with the Old Trafford hierarchy really be completely irreconcilable? It will be Carrick or someone new at the helm at the start of next season. It will be a different era from the one that he left in such an acrimonious way.
Perhaps Barcelona are mad-keen on him, perhaps they want nothing more than to make him theirs on an official basis, perhaps they see him starting more games than he has this season, perhaps they see him being a leader of the team. Or perhaps they don’t. And if they don’t, perhaps Rashford and United need to think about starting afresh.
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