WHY BARCELONA HESITATES TO TRIGGER MARCUS RASHFORD’S £26 MILLION BUY OPTION
Barcelona are stalling on Marcus Rashford’s £26M buy option, making a sensational Manchester United return a real possibility.
Barcelona seems to be hesitating when it comes to locking in a long-term deal for Marcus Rashford, whose contract with Manchester United still has more than two years to run. A return to Old Trafford remains on the table as a possible route. You can catch plenty of highlights, read analyses, or chat with those more immersed in La Liga, but gauging Barcelona’s true satisfaction with Rashford’s loan spell since last summer isn’t straightforward.
Most of the feedback is generally positive, and it’s clear Rashford would be keen to make the move permanent – understandably so, given the club’s stature. But whether Barcelona shares the same eagerness to keep him permanently is less obvious. Coach Hansi Flick has praised Rashford as a solid option, highlighting his finishing skills and versatility, which is encouraging, but usage patterns tell another story.
For instance, Rashford made a strong start by scoring twice in his debut at St James’ Park last August, but was only a substitute for twenty minutes in his recent appearance against Newcastle. Flick’s faith is evident but cautious; Rashford has started just over half of Barcelona’s La Liga matches, four of their nine Champions League games, tallying decent numbers: five goals and four assists in Europe, and four goals and eight assists domestically.
He featured in a few other competitions too, with a goal and assist in the Copa Del Rey and a limited impact in the Supercopa. Minor injuries have cropped up, but the stats suggest Rashford has been solid without really blowing anyone away. On the upside, he hasn’t been overworked, which has Thomas Tuchel’s attention. The England manager seems likely to take him to the next World Cup, where Rashford’s relatively fresh legs could set him apart.
If he shines at the 2026 World Cup, that £26 million buy option could start to look like a bargain for Barcelona. But the club’s transfer choices often get tangled up in financial and political factors, so the uncertainty around Rashford’s future isn’t surprising.
What should be clearer, though, is that going back to Manchester United isn’t as far-fetched as some might assume. Whether Michael Carrick stays or someone new takes charge, a fresh start could be on the cards if Barcelona doesn’t make the move permanent.
It’s been more than ten years since Rashford burst onto the scene with a brace in United’s Europa League win over Midtjylland in early 2016. At 28, nearing his prime years, there’s arguably more to come. Is the relationship with United’s leadership truly beyond repair? With new management stepping in next season, things might look very different from the tough split he had before.
Maybe Barcelona is eager to keep him, envisioning him as a key starter or future leader. Or maybe they’re not convinced. If it’s the latter, Rashford and United should seriously consider hitting the reset button.
HANSI FLICK TO LEAD BARCELONA IN EL CLASICO DESPITE HEARTBREAKING PERSONAL FAMILY LOSS
Discover how Barcelona and Real Madrid will honour Hansi Flick’s father with a minute of silence and black armbands in El Clásico.
Despite the heartbreaking news about Hansi Flick’s father just hours before El Clásico, Flick is still set to coach Barcelona on Sunday evening. Barcelona released a statement confirming the loss and sent their love to Flick, saying the whole club stands by him and his family right now.
Here’s what they said: “FC Barcelona and the entire blaugrana family wish to send all our love to Hansi Flick after the passing of his father. We share in your sorrow, and our thoughts are with you and your family during this difficult time.” Even with this heavy personal loss, Flick is going to be on the sidelines for the crucial match against Real Madrid. Both teams agreed to honour Flick’s father by wearing black armbands and holding a minute of silence before kickoff.
Real Madrid quickly responded with their own message of sympathy, calling Flick’s loss tragic and sending their condolences to him and his family. “Rest in peace,” their statement finished.
If Barcelona avoid defeat in this match, they’ll clinch the La Liga title with two games left; that’s back-to-back championships for Flick in just his first two seasons at the club.
Leading up to the game, Flick spoke about the positive vibe within the squad. He said, 'The atmosphere, the connection between the players, is something really special. We’ve got world-class talent, and you can see how close everyone is, especially the academy kids who’ve known each other forever.”
He went on: “Winning a second title with this young team would be unbelievable. The guys have done a fantastic job, and now we want to win the title for a second straight year, which isn’t common in Spain.”
Picking the starting eleven isn’t easy for Flick; almost everyone’s fit and playing at a high level. He summed it up simply: “We want to play our own game. We know what we have to do, and we want to prove it. We’re here because we played a fantastic season together as a team.”
BARTOMEU UNCOVERS SECRET 2017 MBAPPé BID DURING REVEALING CADENA SER INTERVIEW
Josep Maria Bartomeu reveals Barcelona targeted Kylian Mbappé in 2017, but coaches preferred a move for Ousmane Dembélé instead
Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has just dropped a bit of a bombshell: right after Neymar left for PSG, Barcelona actually went after Kylian Mbappe. That chaotic summer in 2017, when Neymar's record-breaking move sent shockwaves through the club, left them scrambling for a new superstar.
Bartomeu admitted in an interview with SER that Neymar’s shock exit caught everyone off guard. “Neymar’s departure came as a shock to the club; we didn’t want him to leave,” he said. Suddenly, Barcelona was scouring the market for big names, and with Mbappe starring at Monaco, he became their top target.
But here’s the twist: even though the club reached out for both Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, the coaching staff made the final call. Bartomeu explained, “We made an offer for Mbappe and another for Dembele. The coaching staff preferred Dembele.” So, instead of pushing for Mbappe, Barcelona pressed ahead with Dembele, ultimately striking a deal with Borussia Dortmund worth €105 million plus add-ons.
Of course, there was the small matter of money, too. Bartomeu clarified that the price Monaco set for Mbappe was simply out of reach: €180 million, take it or leave it, and it was PSG who could step up. “It wasn’t an offer in the strict sense. They would say to you, "He's worth €180 million." If you want Mbappe, it’s €180 million, and Paris paid it.” Between the steep price and the coaching staff’s strong preference for Dembele, Barcelona backed off.
Bartomeu also opened up about how he handled transfers during his tenure. One thing stood out: after he pushed for the Luis Suarez signing from Liverpool despite all the controversy and got hammered with criticism, he decided to step back and trust the technical staff from then on. Suarez went on to win the Champions League and four La Liga titles with Barcelona, but that experience taught Bartomeu a lesson. “The only decision I made as president or as an administrator, and which I defended vigorously, was the signing of Suarez,” he said. “I was heavily criticised by all the media, so I learned the lesson that the president or administrators cannot interfere in sporting matters. We must trust the technical staff, the sporting directors, and the coaches; it is they who decide on signings.”
