Chelsea paid a similar penalty when they failed to exercise option to sign Jadon Sancho
Barcelona will pay a penalty of €5m to Manchester United if they do not exercise their option to buy Marcus Rashford next summer.
Rashford is on the verge of joining the Catalan club on a season-long loan from United, with the deal including an option to make the move permanent next summer for €35m.
However, United inserted a penalty clause in the agreement, payable if Barcelona choose not to activate the option to buy next June. United have started including such clauses on player transfer contracts, having done the same in last season’s loan of Jadon Sancho to Chelsea.
When Chelsea failed to exercise their buy option due to a disagreement with the player over wages, they had to pay United £5m.
The Rashford deal is being described by sources close to both clubs as a low-risk bet for Barcelona. It helps the club fill a position that Flick considers vital, but in a deal that accommodates their current financial situation.
Barcelona have struggled with player registration in recent years due to La Liga’s financial rules. Dani Olmo and Pau Victor’s registrations were delayed last year, and similar concerns caused Athletic Club’s Nico Williams to reject the club this summer.
Even though Rashford has agreed to a wage reduction for the loan deal to work, Barcelona could yet struggle to register the player this season.
