FC Barcelona faces a decisive summer transfer window in their sports planning after an extraordinary season. Despite the results, Hansi Flick has been clear with the club's sports management: it's urgent to bring in game-changing strikers who can make a difference in the final third. With Ansu Fati's departure on the table and no replacements for Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, the club needs to secure names that will raise the level of the attack.
In this regard, the technical department led by Deco has worked on different alternatives. Nico Williams was one of the favorites, but his €60 million clause and high salary complicate the operation. Meanwhile, Deco's bet was Luis Díaz, although he's getting further from Camp Nou due to financial limitations and the lack of consensus within the club.
A new star on the radar
Given this scenario, Marcus Rashford's name has gained momentum in recent hours: the Englishman with elite experience emerges as an unexpected and attractive opportunity. The most shocking news is that Rashford is only considering one destination, and that's FC Barcelona. He has communicated this to his inner circle, who are willing to put pressure on Manchester United to facilitate his transfer as long as the destination is Barça.
According to the latest reports, Rashford has turned down other offers and his willingness to adjust his salary to the Catalan club's financial reality has been well received by the board. In addition, his agent was recently seen with Deco in Barcelona, which confirms that negotiations are underway. Although United has set his price at €48 million, Barça is working to secure a loan with a purchase option, since they first need to free up salary space.
Everything depends on Barça
In Manchester, they view Rashford's departure favorably, as they're looking to start a new era under Rubén Amorim and the Englishman isn't part of the plans. However, they aren't willing to pay part of his wages, which would force Barça to adjust their finances in order to complete the deal. Clearly, Marcus Rashford's goodwill, who was already close to arriving last winter, could make the difference this time.
The key to the signing is now in the hands of the Catalan club: if they manage to close some sales and reorganize their salary structure, Rashford will become a new Barça footballer sooner rather than later. For Flick, it's a bold but also exciting bet. The coming weeks will be decisive in finding out if the Englishman ends up landing in Barcelona.