Barcelona identify two alternative options to signing Marcus Rashford

Barcelona have drawn up a contingency plan should their pursuit of on-loan forward Marcus Rashford hit a late snag, identifying two La Liga-based fall-back targets ahead of the summer window, according to Marca.

Rashford, 26, has spent the season at Camp Nou on a temporary deal from Manchester United and has reignited his form under Hansi Flick, registering 10 goals and 13 assists in 38 appearances, including two Champions League braces against Newcastle and Olympiacos. An optional buy clause set at £26 million—well below the £70 million valuation United placed on him in 2023—makes a permanent switch appear straightforward, yet Barca’s hierarchy are still hedging their bets.

Should negotiations collapse, Real Betis winger Abde Ezzalzouli tops the list. The 24-year-old departed Barcelona in 2023 but the club retained a 20% sell-on clause, ensuring any re-purchase would be cost-effective. Ezzalzouli has contributed nine goals and seven assists in 28 games this season and featured for Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Barcelona are also monitoring 19-year-old Jan Virgili of RCD Mallorca. The teenage creator, a product of La Masia who left last summer, has supplied six assists in 25 matches for the relegation-threatened side. Mallorca paid £3 million for Virgili, but Barcelona inserted a 50% sell-on clause that could facilitate an attractive return.

While all signs point toward Rashford’s loan becoming permanent, the existence of concrete Plan B options underscores Barcelona’s desire to secure attacking reinforcements regardless of how the Rashford saga concludes.