Barcelona Cooling on €30M Marcus Rashford Purchase After Form Slump

Barcelona’s plan to turn Marcus Rashford’s loan into a €30 million (≈ $34 million) permanent switch has hit a fresh snag, with club hierarchy now questioning whether the outlay remains sensible after a sharp dip in the forward’s output since the calendar flipped to 2026.

The Blaugrana struck a purchase option with Manchester United last summer that, according to widespread reports, they were once eager to activate. Yet the club’s sporting department pressed pause, preferring to monitor the 28-year-old’s performances through the winter and spring before committing. That wait-and-see approach is now casting doubt over Rashford’s long-term future in Catalonia.

Numbers illustrate the slide. Rashford arrived firing, registering seven goals and 11 assists in his opening 24 fixtures—an average of 0.75 goal contributions per match. Since January, however, he has managed just one Champions League strike and two La Liga goals, supplemented by two assists in 14 appearances. The resulting 0.35 contributions per game represents a 53 percent drop-off and has done little to convince decision-makers that a nine-figure fee, once wages are factored in, is justified.

Coach Hansi Flick, speaking ahead of Sunday’s league visit to Rayo Vallecano, offered a measured defence of his on-loan winger. “He had some issues in recent days and we managed him carefully. Now he’s back at one hundred percent,” Flick said, while stopping well short of guaranteeing Rashford a place in next season’s squad. Pressed on whether the club should exercise the buy clause, the German added: “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.”

President Joan Laporta has already floated an alternative structure that would keep Rashford in Barcelona without triggering the full €30 million upfront. “We could extend the loan further,” Laporta told local outlets. “There are formulas, such as completing part of the purchase option with Manchester United and the rest we will see later.” Laporta was quick to remind supporters that sporting director Deco will have the final say: “It depends on what Deco wants.”

With only weeks remaining before the June 30 expiry of the option, Rashford’s next run of outings—beginning with the Rayo clash—could prove pivotal. Failure to rediscover his early-season spark may see Barcelona walk away, leaving Manchester United to reassess their own plans for a player who, for now, remains in limbo.