Bruno Fernandes sends message to Marcus Rashford after Man Utd boost | Football | Sport
Bruno Fernandes has sent a message to Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford amid growing uncertainty surrounding the forward’s future at Old Trafford. Rashford is currently on loan with Barcelona, who hold the option to make the deal permanent when the summer transfer window opens.
The England international has made a strong impression at the Catalan club, coming off the bench to set up Robert Lewandowski in a crucial 2-1 victory over Osasuna on Saturday.
That win extended the club’s lead to 11 points ahead of rivals Real Madrid at the summit of the La Liga table, with just four matches remaining. The title is now firmly within their grasp.
Barcelona require just a single further victory to clinch the title — and in a remarkable twist of fate, their next fixture on Sunday sees them host Real Madrid in El Clásico.
Following the triumph over Osasuna, Rashford shared a photograph of himself celebrating alongside Gavi and Xavi Espart on Instagram, accompanied by the caption: “Now we’re close.”
Fernandes was amongst those who responded, posting a GIF of a PlayStation controller. Rashford replied with two crying laughing emojis, indicating it is something of a private joke shared between the pair. It appears improbable that Fernandes and Rashford will be featuring together again next season, with Rashford’s future seemingly lying away from United.
There is, nevertheless, uncertainty over whether he will complete a permanent switch to Barcelona.
Reports indicate that the Spanish club have opted against activating the clause in the loan agreement, after being unable to convince United to lower the fee. Barcelona will instead utilise the funds to finance other acquisitions.
Securing the La Liga title would, though, provide them with a financial windfall. That could potentially see the club once more reverse their stance on Rashford and choose to pay the £26million clause.
So far this season, the 28-year-old has found the net 13 times and contributed a further 14 assists in all competitions. That includes four goal involvements in his last 5 league matches.
