Marcus Rashford is on loan at Barcelona this season and there is an expectation that the Catalan club will try and keep hold of the Man Utd forward.
Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford was an unused substitute as Barcelona beat Sevilla 5-2
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One obstacle standing in the way of Marcus Rashford completing a permanent transfer to Barcelona was cleared on Sunday, with the re-election of Joan Laporta as president of the La Liga giants.
Laporta won a mandate from the club's socios, beating challenger Victor Font in a ballot of members to ensure he will get another term in charge at the Nou Camp.
Rashford's future was one sub-plot on the campaign trail, with a key element of Font's approach a desire to dispense with sporting director Deco, the former Barcelona midfielder who engineered the loan signing of Rashford, which includes an option to make it permanent for €30million (£26million).
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But with Laporta elected to serve another five-year term, changes at the Nou Camp will be minimal and Deco retains the support of the president, who has voiced his desire to keep Rashford at Barcelona.
Earlier this week, Laporta suggested Rashford's future would be left in Deco's hands, while also opening the possibility of negotiating with Manchester United to do a different deal, such as extending the loan by another season, which could mean paying just a percentage of the €30million option.
Old Trafford sources insist they aren't interested in negotiating and point to the option in the agreement signed last summer. Either Barcelona pay the fee, or Rashford will return to United for pre-season.
United will hope it is the former, with no plans on the table to try and reintegrate the 28-year-old into the squad, even if former teammate Michael Carrick remains as head coach into next season.
The election of Laporta at least moves the possibility of banking that £26million one step closer, although it is by no means guaranteed. While Barcelona thrashed Sevilla 5-2 on the same day as members went to the polls, Rashford watched it all unfold from the bench as an unused substitute.
A return of 10 goals and 13 assists in 38 games this season is respectable, but his form has tailed off recently, with just five goals involvements since the turn of the year.
Rashford has started just five of Barcelona's 19 games in 2026 and only three of the last 15, which includes a Copa del Rey tie at Segunda Division strugglers Albacete.
So while Rashford might feel he is one step closer to completing his dream of a permanent move to Barcelona after Sunday, he will also know he needs a good finish to the season on the pitch to make absolutely sure of it.