Report: Barcelona growing doubtful over Marcus Rashford’s $34M permanent move

Marcus Rashford’s future at Barcelona is now surrounded by uncertainty, amid reported concerns within the Spanish club over whether such a significant financial outlay is justified, combined with a recent dip in performances.

Since the start of the year, reports had indicated that Barcelona were firmly intending to trigger the €30 million (around $34 million) option agreed with Manchester United. However, time has passed and the deal has yet to be completed “because the sporting department wanted to evaluate his performances over the following months,” according to Sport.

And things have not gone in the English forward’s favor during that stretch. Rashford had recorded seven goals and 11 assists across all competitions in the first half of the season. However, since the start of 2026, those numbers have dropped significantly.

So far this year, Rashford has scored just one goal in the UEFA Champions League and two in La Liga, while adding only two assists. That amounts to just five goal contributions in 14 matches (0.35 per game), a sharp decline from the 18 he registered in his first 24 appearances (0.75 per game).

Coach Hansi Flick speaks on Rashford

Speaking at Saturday’s press conference ahead of the La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano, Hansi Flick addressed Rashford’s recent lack of involvement. “He had some issues in recent days and we managed him carefully. Now he’s back at one hundred percent,” the coach said.

Regarding Rashford’s future—as well as Joao Cancelo, who is also on loan through the end of the season—Flick avoided making any definitive statements. “For me, this is not the time to say who I want. I need everyone at their best level. We’ll talk at the end and see what happens. Now is not the moment to say if I want this player or not. Anything can happen,” he added, according to Sport.

Alternative solutions for Barcelona regarding Rashford

Amid this uncertainty, Barcelona president Joan Laporta has addressed Rashford’s situation and raised the possibility of negotiating with Manchester United to keep the player without paying the full $34 million fee this summer.

“We could extend the loan further,” Laporta said recently. “There are formulas, such as completing part of the purchase option with Manchester United and the rest we will see later.” However, the club president made it clear that the final decision will depend on the sporting director: “It depends on what Deco wants.”