Major obstacle holding back Barcelona in Marcus Rashford pursuit

Barcelona are determined to sign a new left winger this summer, although their efforts have been far from successful at this stage. They had taken it for granted that Nico Williams would join, but after he turned them down in favour of signing a new 10-year contract with Athletic Club, they are back to square one.

For now, a move is difficult because of the club’s well-documented financial woes, but once a return to La Liga’s 1:1 rule is secured, the intention is to step up their pursuit of their top target – and at this stage, that’s Marcus Rashford.

Rashford will be allowed to leave Manchester United this summer, and Barcelona believe that he can be signed on a season-long loan with an option to buy. Talks are planned for the coming days, but there are internal doubts about the England international.

As reported by Javi Miguel, Barcelona sporting director Deco is unsure about a move for Rashford. He is not convinced that the Man United man would be the best addition, which checks out considering that he is a big fan of Luis Diaz, who is another player on the Catalans’ shortlist.

However, it means that Deco is starting to lose hope that Diaz can be signed this summer, with Barcelona moving away from him as an option. This only increases the chances of Rashford being the man that is strong pursued in the coming weeks.

Rashford is holding out for Barcelona, who are his preferred choice for a summer move. There is no immediate time pressure for a deal to be completed, although Man United want to shift him as soon as possible. But they can do nothing until the player himself gives the green light, which he will only do to the La Liga champions.