Barcelona have reportedly agreed to meet the £26million fee required to secure Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford on a permanent basis. The England international moved to the Spanish champions on a season-long loan at the start of the campaign in pursuit of regular football, having fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford.
After seeing his opportunities restricted, Rashford spent time on loan at Aston Villa 12 months previously, but appears destined for a permanent departure from the club where he came through the ranks, with reports indicating Barcelona are advancing with a deal. Spanish publication Sport has reported that Hansi Flick’s outfit have agreed to trigger the €30million (£26m) release clause and are now negotiating individual terms.
Rashford is prepared to accept reduced wages to join the European powerhouses. The publication suggests the England forward is willing to make financial sacrifices to secure his permanent switch to Barcelona and has already indicated his readiness to do whatever is necessary.
The striker’s representatives held talks with sporting director Deco on Monday to accelerate discussions regarding his continued presence. Barcelona are working to restructure his wages and are reportedly ‘calmly finalising the agreement’ with the England international, with a formal announcement expected at the conclusion of the season.
Barcelona are buoyant that Rashford’s market value will rise, allowing the club to recoup their outlay should he depart in the future. Earlier reports suggested the Spanish giants were seeking to drive down the transfer fee ahead of a potential summer deal, despite Rashford registering 10 goals and 13 assists across all competitions.
Rashford has already made his intentions clear regarding a permanent switch, and recently posted an hourglass emoji on Instagram, fuelling speculation that an agreement could be imminent. Speaking to SPORT, he said: “I’m adapting very well to the club and the city.
“From the moment I arrived I felt that everyone welcomed me very well. For me, the reason I’m here is to help the team win trophies.
“Last season was fantastic, but in life everything happens very quickly, things change and the goal is to repeat the successes. I’m totally focused on this.
“With the staff and the teammates everything is fantastic, I can’t complain. Of course what I want is to stay at Barca. It’s an end goal, but it’s not the reason why I’m training hard and giving it my best. The purpose is to win. Barca is a huge, fantastic club, built to win titles.
“There is pressure here, but it is not a negative pressure. It’s the one you want as a player, the one I want and have always wanted as a footballer. I can’t be in a place where important objectives are not demanded of you. For me, it is more difficult to be motivated and give my best at a club where the demand is not maximum. I’m in the perfect place and environment to continue my journey as a football player, so I just try to do my best every day and help the team win. We’ll see what happens next summer.”
Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source.