Barcelona ‘almost’ ready to buy Rashford

Barcelona are believed to be extremely impressed by Marcus Rashford since his arrival in the Catalan capital. The top brass at Barcelona are now keen on extending Rashford’s stay in Spain beyond the initially agreed twelve months and are considering making the deal a permanent one.

The Manchester United attacker joined the Cules in August on a year-long loan move. According to a report published by Goal, Barcelona officials were not entirely convinced by the loan deal as they believed they were being offered something that was “too good to be true”.

However, Rashford has pulled up his socks and let his feet do the talking with some splendid displays for Hansi Flick’s side. Rashford’s two match-winning goals against Newcastle United at St James’ Park in the UEFA Champions League have been among his standout performances since arriving in Spain.

What’s cooking at Barcelona?

According to the loan agreement, Barcelona can exercise the right to make the transfer of Rashford permanent. The Catalan giants can complete the signing of Rashford next summer for a fee of £30 million by activating his permanent release clause. Hansi Flick’s team would be compelled to pay £25 million up front, with as much as £5 million in future performance-related add-ons.

According to The Sun, Barcelona view the current agreement between the two clubs as a bargain.

Is Barcelona’s bet paying off?

Rashford’s reputation has recently been tarnished due to disciplinary issues, along with poor form, which eventually led to his exit from Old Trafford. However, since his arrival at Camp Nou, Rashford has left no stone unturned, turning into a lethal attacker in the Blaugrana jersey. In his last seven appearances, Rashford has scored three goals and turned provider for an additional five, thereby winning over the decision makers at Barcelona, along with the supporters.

In the grand scheme of things, Rashford could also be an apt replacement for Robert Lewandowski in the Barcelona squad. The Polish striker does not have age on his side and could be heading for the exit doors once the current season concludes.

One thing is for certain, Hansi Flick is known to be an admirer of Rashford’s game and also played a crucial part in the Englishman’s arrival at the shores of Spain this summer. Flick has been previously quoted as saying about the England international:

“I told Deco in the summer, ‘Bring me Rashford, bring me Rashford, please’. We needed a player like him,”

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The upcoming calendar year could be central to determining Rashford’s future as a football player. The striker would be hopeful of being involved in Thomas Tuchel’s team that boards the plane for next year’s FIFA World Cup. Barcelona will lock horns with its Catalan neighbours, Girona, next weekend, post the international break.