16 May 2026 09:54 BST |
4 min read
Marcus Rashford’s future at Barcelona remains in the balance, but the on-loan Manchester United attacker is desperately seeking a way he can remain at Camp Nou on a permanent basis.
Barca agreed a €30 million buyout fee in Rashford’s loan deal, but the Catalan club’s finances are such that this figure could be out of their reach. The Blaugrana are fronting up to the real possibility that Robert Lewandowski departs in the summer, and their priority will be replacing the No.9.
Rashford, meanwhile, already has an agreement in place with Barcelona on personal terms, but Mundo Deportivo reports that he is willing to make a significant change in this contract in the hope it tempts the club into finally making his move a full-time one.
Rashford finds new formula to tempt Barcelona
The agreement that Rashford currently has with Barcelona, should they sign him, is a three-year contract. This includes a 40% pay cut compared to his current deal with Man Utd.
The England attacker sees only one option to prolong his stay at the club given that United are firm on their insistence that the Blaugrana must meet their €30m valuation. He is ready to rip up that three-year agreement and instead sign a five-year deal.
This is crucial from the Spanish champions’ perspective because it would allow them to amortise his transfer fee over a longer period, and therefore cost them less on their accounts.
Barcelona are aware of Rashford’s willingness to make this sacrifice for the club and also the difficulty in signing a winger who can put up similar numbers to his 14 goals and 12 assists for the season.
Why this is important: Transfer amortisation explained
To understand why Rashford’s stance is important, it is vital to understand how transfers appear in the books of football clubs.
Sales are straightforward. When a player leaves the club, the full amount of any transfer fee will go into the accounts. So if Barcelona sign Rashford, Manchester United will be able to write in a €30m income.
Signings are a little different. These are amortised over the length of a player’s contract (up to five years). This means that the transfer fee paid is divided by the length of contract, which is the figure that goes into the accounts each year over the duration of the agreement.
Let’s assume Barcelona complete this deal for €30m. On a three-year contract, Rashford will cost Barca €10m each year in accountancy terms. However, split this over five years, and the cost is €6m per year. The Catalans will pay the same fee but will ‘save’ €4m in their accounts in the first three years of the agreement.
Rashford hopes this subtle change, which would see him committed to the Camp Nou side until the end of the 2031/32 season, will be enough to prompt Barcelona to finally pay Man Utd the €30m it will cost to sign him permanently.
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