Why signing Luis Diaz makes more sense for Barcelona than Marcus Rashford

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is currently looking at an uncertain future in the game after Aston Villa's failure to qualify for the Champions League, ironically, due to an unexpected defeat at Old Trafford.

Rashford was loaned out to the Villans, of course, after becoming persona non grata as far as new first-team head coach Ruben Amorim was concerned.

During the time spent at Villa Park, the England international played 17 matches in all competitions, 10 as a starter.

A rebirth for Rashford in the Midlands

He managed to provide five assists and score four goals, which underscored a rebirth of sorts for Rashford in the Midlands.

Whether the player himself chose to admit it or not, a change in his circumstances was absolutely required, though it still needed Unai Emery to take what everyone believed was a punt at the time.

Prior to agreeing on the move, the 27-year-old had scored seven goals and provided three assists in 24 matches played, but it was his demeanour on the pitch which led many football watchers to believe that his heart was no longer in the game.

Having quickly hit his stride on loan, it was as if a weight had been lifted, and glimpses of the old Marcus Rashford were there for all to see.

Rashford's impact would have to be immediate

It's little wonder then that clubs who had previously shied away from showing their hand were beginning to drop hints within certain areas of the media that the forward might well be the type of player that they were looking for.

Most notably, Barcelona didn't rebuff the notion that they were interested, albeit no deal has been forthcoming to this point.

For all of his ability to explode from a standing start, to beat players with ease when the fancy takes him, to go it alone up front if needs be and to score goals, the question that should be being asked at this point is why the Catalan giants would even be interested in Rashford's services.

If various reports are to be believed, he's one of the best-paid players in the Manchester United squad, and if he were to move to Catalonia - as is understood to still be his preference - the impact he would need to make would have to be immediate.

Not to mention that a front line of Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski is going to take some shifting.

Barcelona trio in sparkling form last season

Between them last season, the Barca trio managed an incredible 94 goals and 46 assists, and had all bases covered in terms of the way in which they hunted the opposition down in a pack and stayed on the front foot in almost every game.

Whilst it's accepted that Rashford's indifference might well have been a result of a loss of form and a subsequent feeling of being marginalised, even a fully fit and totally engaged player still doesn't necessarily usurp any of the aforementioned trio.

Marcus Rashford ball carries 2024/25Opta by StatsPerform

The Englishman managed just 159 attacking ball carries across the whole of the 2024/25 campaign, whereas Raphinha made more than double that (379).

Raphinha ball carries 2024/25Opta by StatsPerform

That doesn't just speak of a player that's unhappy with his current circumstances, but one who has virtually withdrawn from the front line of battle.

At the very least, players need to be working hard and putting in the effort in order to receive their rewards, and Rashford clearly has a long, long way to go in this regard.

Does he, therefore, wish to accept that if he were able to get a 'dream move,' that he would essentially be in reserve unless there happened to be an injury to one of the three regular attackers?

Leao 'untouchable' but Diaz is a great alternative

AC Milan's Rafael Leao and Liverpool's Luis Diaz are two other players who have been mentioned more than once as a potential signing for the current LaLiga champions.

The former can virtually be discounted already, given the knowledge that he is untouchable as far as the new coach Massimiliano Allegri is concerned.

As for the Colombian, his numbers are certainly worth a second look. 

17 goals and five assists were only bettered by Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah during Liverpool's title-winning campaign. Despite this, the Reds board haven't yet come out unequivocally and said that Diaz isn't for sale.

It's believed that the Premier League champions would accept around £42m for him, even though his market value is around the £59m mark. And whilst that will arguably make him more expensive than Rashford, Diaz works that much harder than his contemporary.

Luis Diaz 24/25 Radar Chart GraphicOpta by Stats Perform

Looking at the comparison graphics here, we can see quite clearly that the 28-year-old has been much better in every aspect of play.

Marcus Rashford 24/25 Radar Chart GraphicOpta by Stats Perform

Given that Hansi Flick won't tolerate players who are bone idle on the pitch, even just entertaining the idea of signing Rashford makes no sense.

Of course, Diaz would also need to understand that he wouldn't necessarily be a first choice for the coach and would need to bide his time until the opportunity arose for him to put his best foot forward.

With Barcelona not awash with cash, any new signings need to be carefully thought out and only bought if they're going to make a genuine difference.

Rashford doesn't seem to be there yet, meaning the Catalans should invest their money in Diaz at this point.