Xavier Vilajoana once attracted attention during the Barcelona presidential campaign when he revealed that he had contacted Bayern Munich superstar Harry Kane about the possibility of moving to Camp Nou. However, the most notable topic that this industrial engineer mentioned in the campaign revolved around another English player. That is Marcus Rashford.
As is known, Barcelona reached an agreement with Manchester United to have the right to buy out this versatile striker at the end of the season for a fee of only 30 million Euros. However, Vilajoana once publicly questioned whether that money should be used to bring Jan Virgili back to Catalunya or not.
This 19-year-old talent just left Barcelona to join Real Mallorca last summer, but the Catalan team still maintains the priority to buy back the Spanish U21 international. Virgili has impressed in La Liga this season with six assists.
However, in terms of personal achievements, Rashford is still much more prominent. The English striker has contributed to 23 goals in all competitions this season. Currently, many sources say that his loan contract could be turned into a buyout deal in the summer, provided that Joan Laporta continues to hold the President's seat.
However, even if the deal is completed, it does not guarantee Rashford will stick with Barcelona for a long time. In the past decade, Barca has made many controversial deals that have made the club's financial situation difficult. But taking advantage of Man United's willingness to sell players to recruit Rashford for a low fee can be considered a wise move.
The England star once declined in form at Old Trafford, and also faced many criticisms related to his playing attitude. However, the successful loan period at Aston Villa last season showed that he still has great determination to revive his career when leaving the pressure at his hometown club.
That positive performance convinced Barcelona's Sporting Director, Deco, that Rashford is a gamble worth trying.
According to many sources, INEOS is currently dissatisfied with the terms of the agreement. Although pushing Rashford out of the salary fund helps Man United save about 15 million pounds per season, the buyout clause of only 30 million Euros is considered too low compared to the value of this player.
In that context, many opinions suggest that Man United should have signed a loan contract without a buyout clause, or at least had to set a significantly higher transfer fee.
Purely from a professional perspective, Barcelona is achieving what they want from Rashford. Last season, Blaugrana's attack was almost formed with the trio Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal.
However, coach Hansi Flick still feels that the team lacks a quality backup option for Raphinha on the left wing, especially when he wants to use the Brazilian player more in the number 10 role.
Rashford perfectly meets that requirement, and can also play as a center forward when needed. The versatility of the English striker helps Barcelona gain significant depth in attack.
In addition to professional factors, favorable financial terms also play an important role in this deal. Rashford is said to be very keen to move to Camp Nou, to the point of accepting a salary reduction to complete the deal - which makes Deco consider this a contract that almost needs no consideration.
