The forward line of Barcelona has proven to be one of the best in the world, making it seem difficult for an outsider to find a spot. From this summer until now, several wingers have been considered for the left flank: Rafael Leão, Nico Williams, or Chiesa.
This winter market, the option of Marcus Rashford has been added, as he will leave Manchester United due to poor results. The Englishman has shown interest and is waiting for Laporta to make room in the Financial Fair Play to greenlight his incorporation.
Necessary Departures to Make Room for Rashford
Barça needs to free up salary mass to carry out the operation; if there are no departures of players, it will be a mission impossible. Several players are on the way out, the closest being Ansu Fati and Eric García.
In the case of the forward, Flick has seen how the positive feelings he conveyed in the summer have vanished, and he counts very little or not at all with the homegrown player. Ansu has been so lacking in minutes that he has been the discarded from the call-ups for the last matches. Among the possible destinations is Betis, which has shown interest in the situation.
Eric García, however, would be close to returning to Girona, where he already played last season. Although he has had more minutes, the overbooking in the midfield and the upcoming renewal of Araújodistance him greatly from Can Barça.
Their departures would mean a great release of salary mass. Mainly, Ansu's, as he is the third highest-paid in the team, behind Lewandowski and De Jong.
The Rashford Option
Despite the outstanding performance of the blaugrana trio, the team needs to strengthen the depth of the forward line. The three starters (Lamine, Lewandowski, and Raphinha) are immovable, but the replacements for any rotation or injury are scarce.
This is where the Rashford option comes in, an important player who can help in the rotation or as a stopgap for possible unforeseen events. The winger offers speed, dribbling, power, and above all, goals. The homegrown Mancunian would give a quality boost to the forward line, as he can play in several positions, such as winger or even up front.
His weak point is the defensive involvement, the pressure. The German coach would have to tighten the screws, as it is crucial for his style.
It's a very positive move for the team. It significantly improves the depth, gives depth to the team, and also frees up space in the Financial Fair Play.