The on-loan Manchester United attacker’s future at the club remains uncertain, but his achievements in Spain mean he should be a driving force in England’s World Cup plans
Marcus Rashford enjoyed putting Barcelona ahead in the title-winning match against Real Madrid (Image: Getty)
Marcus Rashford has suggested that if he were a magician he would wave a wand and come up with an easy way to stay in Barcelona. And why didn’t he? He’s on a great club, a great place to live, and a great soccer team.
Hansi Flick’s side could reach 100 points for the season and celebrate the title. That’s some accomplishment. They should be fun to watch and fun to play.
Rashford has contributed to the team’s success this season, scoring eight goals and providing nine assists in La Liga. Across all competitions, Rashford has scored 14 goals and provided 14 assists. These are decent numbers.
read more: Manchester United News: Wayne Rooney submits petition regarding Andoni Iraola’s admissionread more: Spanish media is divided over Marcus Rashford after Manchester United star reveals his feelings
Beyond the stats, he looks sharp, fast, and in very good shape. Rashford doesn’t turn 29 until October so he should be in top form.
The £26 million buy option figure looks like a very good value for Barcelona. But Barcelona have financial problems and a wealth of attacking talent, and they see players who only want to play for them anyway.
It’s no wonder they want to get him as cheaply as possible if they want to keep him. No wonder they would probably prefer another loan deal.
A new loan deal makes no sense for Manchester United. They hope to get some money for Rashford, whose contract at Old Trafford expires at the end of the 2027/28 season.
Thomas Tuchel is a big fan of Marcus Rashford and will definitely take him to the World Cup (Image: Eddie Keogh – The FA, The FA via Getty Images)
That is extremely optimistic, even idealistic, but the best way forward for the player and his two clubs would be for all parties to remain flexible and reach some sort of deal. In order to do so, a staggered transfer fee may be necessary, and there may be a possibility that Rashford will make concessions in terms of wages.
But no matter how it turns out, one thing is certain. Rashford’s form improved at a very good time.
His goal, scored from a set-piece in Barcelona’s El Clasico victory over Real Madrid, was his fourth in his last six La Liga appearances. He scored two of those goals as a substitute.
The timing is perfect, as his appearance could help erase the obvious reservations some in Barcelona’s hierarchy have towards Rashford. And it’s perfect timing, as his form is exactly what manager Thomas Tuchel wanted to see.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is pleased with Marcus Rashford’s form (Image: Getty)
He is set to be included in Tuchel’s World Cup squad and is likely the favorite to start on the left of England’s attack. That will, of course, be Harry Kane’s England attack.
At this time of year, football’s most familiar semi-annual question is regularly asked. What will England do if Kane gets injured?
There have been many attempts to do so without success, but there is definitely still a central striker in Rashford. He’s a great finisher. He looks stronger than ever. He can lead the offensive line, which hasn’t worked out so far.
That’s why a £26m transfer fee would be a bargain for Barcelona. That’s why Rashford could become one of Tuchel’s most important players this summer.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+ and Ultimate TV packages
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundles to include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, plus 135 channels and complete coverage of the Premier League and EFL from Sky.
Sky has over 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more, with at least 215 of them live from the top flight, along with F1, darts and golf.
