Rashford nears permanent move as Barcelona reportedly devise financial strategy to trigger Manchester United clause

Barcelona reportedly have a plan in place to pay Manchester United’s clause and secure Marcus Rashford on a permanent deal.

For months, Marcus Rashford has been the subject of speculation in Barcelona. The Spanish club has been pleased with his performances, but understands that keeping him long term will require paying Manchester United a significant fee this summer.

“The blaugrana side has virtually decided to keep the Englishman on a permanent basis,” Diario AS reports, citing Mundo Deportivo. “The €30 million purchase option would be paid in three annual installments of €10 million each” (approximately $11.8 million per installment).

This strategy would, of course, depend on Manchester United’s willingness to accept a deferred payment structure over two years for the forward. But that is not the only factor Barcelona must consider when mapping out Rashford’s future.

“The deal also depends on fitting his salary and contract length within La Liga’s financial fair play regulations,” Diario AS adds. Reports indicate that Rashford is willing to lower his current salary — estimated at around $17 million per year — a key development in negotiations.

Another issue involves La Liga’s player registration restrictions. In recent years, Barcelona’s financial struggles have created complications in this area, and making Rashford’s move permanent could force the club to offload one or more players from the roster to balance the books.

Marcus Rashford has exceeded expectations at Barcelona

When Barcelona moved to sign Marcus Rashford last summer, there were questions about how the forward would adapt to Spain. Not because his talent was in doubt, but because his most recent experiences in the Premier League, with Manchester United and Aston Villa, had fallen short of expectations.

Instead, Rashford has been a welcome surprise. Hansi Flick relies primarily on Lamine Yamal and Raphinha on the wings, while Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres compete at center forward. Even in that crowded attacking picture, the Englishman has found ways to make an impact.

Whether coming off the bench or stepping in for one of the aforementioned stars due to injury, Rashford has posted 10 goals and 13 assists in 34 appearances so far. That production makes him one of the team’s most efficient forwards and a reliable option for the coach — justification for the more than $30 million Barcelona appear ready to invest to secure him permanently.