Barcelona appeared to be closing in on signing Marcus Rashford permanently this summer, but the deal is far from certain.
The Manchester United loanee is likely to cost the Catalan club a whopping €30m, which is the buyout clause in his contract, while the high salary he earns must also be taken into account. Rashford has also made it known to Manchester United that he has no intention of returning to the club.
The England international has had an up-and-down season at Camp Nou, showing excellent form at times, but contributing 10 goals and 13 assists during the absences due to Raphinha’s injury.
For their part, both Rashford and Barcelona coach Hansi Flick have expressed their desire for him to stay, but Barcelona’s salary cap issues mean no deal is guaranteed.
According to Marca , sporting director Deco has identified two alternatives for Rashford if the transfer does not go through.
One of the alternatives is former club player Ez Abde, who has impressed this season at Real Betis. After a mixed first year, Abde has transformed into a more regular threat in Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
Now a regular in the squad, the Morocco international has nine goals and seven assists this season, while Barcelona own 20% of the rights to a future transfer, meaning any deal could come with a discount.
The next option on Deco’s list is Jan Virgil, who left the club to join Mallorca last summer due to a lack of first-team opportunities following the arrival of Rashford.
The 19-year-old is having a very good debut season in La Liga, with six assists, despite not always being a starter.
Barcelona sold Virgil for 3.5 million euros, but in his case the Catalan club owns 50% of the rights from a future transfer of the young talent.