Marcus Rashford's transfer reality as finance expert hails 'double benefit' to Man Utd sale

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Despite his past heroics for Manchester United , few at Old Trafford will have expected Marcus Rashford to kick on quite so forcefully at Barcelona . But after struggling to find his most talismanic self on home soil, the Englishman could now celebrate the most successful season of his career to date away from the club that made him.

On one hand, neither supporters nor the club itself should be surprised. It's become a sad sort of ritual in recent years for players to leave the Theatre of Dreams before going on to reach greater heights elsewhere, though football finance expert Kieran Maguire suggests it may be a worthy sacrifice in Rashford's case.

Scott McTominay did it last season when he joined Napoli en route to becoming Serie A Player of the Year following his first season in Italy. He's since been joined in Naples by a revitalised Rasmus Hojlund , while the likes of Antony, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Anthony Elanga and Alvaro Carreras have each pulled off similar rebounds in the post-United phases of their careers.

Rashford is perhaps different from most of those examples in that he could still have a future under Ruben Amorim in Manchester . The main question is whether that prospect will even tempt the player now his eyes have been opened as to what's possible at the Camp Nou.

"I don't see anything here as like a pressure. It's just, I'm here to play football," Rashford told BBC Sport in December. "It's been amazing. I feel welcome, I feel at home. I've just been enjoying every step of the way."

A permanent signing looks like a no-brainer from Barca's perspective. La Blaugrana can sign Rashford for the affordable sum of around £30million , a good deal less than the £40m United would reportedly demand from any other club wishing to sign their star.

Indeed, United may in fact hope Barcelona don't trigger the option in Rashford's contract in light of his Catalan revival. The club stands to make a much greater profit from any deal if a different side steps up for his signature following what's been such a successful stint in the shop window to date.

"I think there is a desire there at Barcelona to make some form of statement signing," Maguire told Mirror Football . "I think Marcus Rashford would fall within that at a relatively cheap price, which gives them sort of a double benefit."

Maguire, who runs the Price of Football podcast and is highly sought after for his knowledge in football finance, contrasted Barca's modern model against that of rivals Real Madrid . And whereas Real have sustained an era of success in buying and selling, the Catalan kings have been less reliable maintaining their empire.

"Barcelona are a bit more of a basket case. So, I am concerned with Barcelona's finances," he continued. "They have to satisfy La Liga's cost control rules, which are very onerous.

"Progress in the Champions League , however, could be sufficient to warrant or to free up enough money which would allow them to sign Marcus Rashford, because they could easily make in excess of £100m this year from a good run in the Champions League."

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There are believed to be reservations from Barca's side, and understandably so. Rashford is already 28, and Barca's transfer model in recent years has seen them reluctant to splash out major fees on players over 25, especially those in the forward roles.

And with good reason, considering finances at the Camp Nou are a touchy topic at the best of times. The club's ongoing stadium renovation has left the coffers relatively dry, and it was even briefly in doubt as to whether Barcelona would be able to register Rashford this season after he was signed.

The forward even agreed to take a 25 per cent pay cut in order to force through a move to Barca, who are covering his wages for the duration of his loan. That decision only enamoured fans in Spain even more with the player, as if his on-field output hasn't done enough talking.

But the fact remains Rashford is now in his 11th season of senior football and eking ever closer to 30, often deemed a no-go area for some clubs when it comes to more expensive recruits. United will be all too wary of that fact also, particularly after it seems certain bridges were burned back in Manchester.

"It's a horrible thing to say, because ultimately he's a young man in a professional elite career, but from an ownership point of view, he's a wasting asset," added Maguire. "In the sense that his market value is only going to go down at this point, because whoever buys him will get no resale value in all probability, if he goes at 28 or 29, so it's a five-year contract.

"There's no upside towards the end of that contract. So that has to be taken into consideration. Clearly there's also a breakdown in the relationship between him and senior management at [United], which normally means that a parting of the ways is best for all. It's now an issue of price and just how keen are Barcelona to sign him."

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For his part, the player has done nothing to dissuade his new club from temptation. Rashford quickly settled in Hansi Flick's system and has had 18 direct goal involvements (seven goals, 11 assists) in 23 outings across all competitions this season.

Only Ballon d'Or contender Lamine Yamal (nine goals, 11 assists) has contributed more in front of goal for Flick this term. And given the youngster's standing in Spain, that serves to illustrate the kind of impact Rashford has had for his temporary employers.

Speaking to ESPN in October, Rashford had already made up his mind on whether he would like the stint to become permanent. When asked if he wished to extend his time in Barcelona beyond this season, he replied: "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. For a player it is an honour."

Things appear happier for Rashford off the field, too. It was reported not long after the move to Spain was confirmed that the England attacker was back with former fiancee, Lucia Loi.

The childhood sweethearts were due to be wed after becoming engaged in 2022, only to split the following year. It was around the same time Rashford went from the highest-scoring season of his career to plumbing new depths amid a miserable run of form.

Around the same time, Rashford was pictured arriving back at his Miami hotel at 5am with fitness trainer Courtney Caldwell in June 2023, per The Sun . His wild spell continued into early 2024 when he was disciplined for United for missing training following a boozy night out in Belfast .

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So it's good news for Barca fans that Lucia has reportedly joined Marcus in Spain after patching things up. The Daily Mail cited sources close to the player in August, who suggested Lucia has a huge impact on Rashford's happiness.

It's little wonder his form has performed a 180-degree turn in Spain if that is the case. And Barcelona's loss could prove to be another club's gain should they reject their first-dibs opportunity to take him up on a long-term deal.

Having only recently turned 28, there's reason to believe Rashford still has plenty of value left to offer. Even if his signing wouldn't fit with Barca's usual recruitment model.

Anyone doubting whether Rashford still had the goods to produce at the highest level has been silenced in recent months. The player's own comments suggest he's done with United for good, though there are sure to be plenty who hope that isn't the case if he can be convinced there's a future to be had under Amorim.

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