Barcelona issue fresh Marcus Rashford update after loanee gets boost | Football | Sport

Marcus Rashford has received encouragement as he pursues a permanent move to Barcelona. While not a regular starter, the Manchester United forward has excelled in Spain, scoring 10 goals and providing 13 assists this season.

The return fixture against Atletico takes place on March 3, with Barca facing a near-impossible challenge against Diego Simeone’s side. Yet, in an indication of Rashford’s importance, the club has identified his expected availability as grounds for believing Hansi Flick’s team can overturn the deficit.

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As the club website outlined reasons for confidence before the second leg at the Nou Camp, it labelled him a “key player”. It said: “If all goes well, three key players should be available for the second leg on 3 March: Pedri, Raphinha and Rashford. The Englishman looks the most certain, having missed the first leg purely as a precaution.”

The praise arrives alongside fresh developments regarding Rashford’s future beyond the current campaign, and it’s not as straightforward as Barcelona simply paying the previously mentioned £26m.

The Spanish champions have reportedly put forward two proposals to United to secure Rashford’s services: acquiring the forward for below his release clause or extending his loan for a further year with an obligatory purchase commitment in 2027.

Spanish publication SPORT claims Barcelona have chosen to sign Rashford on a permanent basis and will only reconsider should he sustain a significant injury.

While Amorim’s departure, who sidelined him before sanctioning loan moves to Villa and then Barcelona, created the possibility for a United comeback, Rashford has indicated his future lies in Spain.

Earlier this season, he said: “Oh yeah, for sure. I’m enjoying this football club and I think for anybody who loves football, Barcelona is one of the key clubs in the history of the game, so to play here is an honour.

“I just believe that things happen when they’re supposed to happen. It’s not the first time I spoke with Barcelona about potentially coming here, but for whatever reasons it didn’t happen in the past, and now is my opportunity to make it happen. I feel like there’s no time like the present now.”