The forward ticks all the boxes for the club but Barcelona may struggle with finances
Everyone at Barcelona has spoken about the good feeling Marcus Rashford has brought since his arrival from Manchester United last summer.
Manager Hansi Flick used the player as a reference at the weekend, warning younger players and La Masia talent that dedication to the club, a love for the badge and the Blaugrana colours, were the minimum requirements to have a future at the club. All qualities Rashford possesses. The player has spoken repeatedly about how much the club and the environment means to him and how he is willing to do his part.
After being benched against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League, eventually coming on in the second half to pick up yet another assist, Flick said after the game the player’s mentality was “fantastic”. When he had tried to explain why the 28-year-old wouldn’t be starting the game, Rashford had said: “Boss, you don’t have to tell me this, it’s only about the team. We have to win three points, nothing else is important.”
In that sense he is the perfect squad player in a side that already includes Raphinha and Lamine Yamal – both potential Ballon d’Or winners – on the wings; he is good enough to compete with them for a starting spot, but is also in the right space of mind to accept not getting a starting role, sit back and come on to impact the game.
But Rashford has been equally convincing with his output. He is the club’s highest goalscorer in the Champions League so far this season, with four goals in six games. In the league he has eight assists. Only Yamal has produced more (9).
When Raphinha was injured in the first half of the season and Yamal was struggling with pubalgia, it was Rashford’s quality that allowed Barcelona to keep up the pressure on Real Madrid and eventually overtake them at the top of the table.
Against Real Sociedad, a game many were surprised to discover he hadn’t started, the forward came off the bench and made an instant impact, heading in an equaliser, although Barcelona fell back down again after Sociedad went up the other end immediately and retook the lead.
Given that Barcelona are also eyeing a replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who is expected to depart when his contract expires in the summer, it would make sense to keep Rashford, so that the recruitment department would not have to worry about signing not just a centre-forward but also a left winger – and not just a left winger but also one capable of deputising across the forward line when needed, good enough to start but also possessing the mentality to accept rotation.
To keep Rashford, Barcelona would have to pay €30m in the summer. Finances are tricky for the La Liga club and recent conduct suggests they will seek a way to wriggle and manoeuvre to avoid paying that sum.
