‘Barcelona’s envy of Jude Bellingham major factor in Marcus Rashford deal’
Barcelona had one eye on Jude Bellingham’s impact at Real Madrid when they decided to sign Marcus Rashford from Man United.
The England international has been desperate to secure a move to the Camp Nou this summer after his relationship with Ruben Amorim crumbled last season.
And Rashford’s dream transfer to Barcelona is seemingly on the verge of completion, as the 27-year-old is in Catalonia to complete the deal [BBC Sport]
The winger made up one-fifth of Man United’s “bomb squad” alongside Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, and Tyrell Malacia, who the club are desperate to shift on this summer.
Despite interest in Luis Diaz, Barcelona have moved for Rashford quickly, and according to MailOnline, Los Blaugranas’ decision to sign the winger was motivated by their envy of Madrid star Bellingham.
Marcus Rashford extremely marketable for Barcelona
As reported, Rashford being an English speaker is an attractive prospect for Barcelona and the club plans to put him “to good use” in their upcoming tour of Asia.
The champions of Spain will be looking to get the most out of their partnership with Phillips by using the loanee in their sponsored tour of Japan and South Korea, although it will be in a strictly off-pitch capacity as the club cannot currently register the Englishman, although he can train.
The club have “looked enviously” at the way that rivals Madrid have utilised Bellingham’s “huge appeal” by bolstering their fanbase in English-speaking parts of the world.
Marcus Rashford faces nervous wait at Barcelona
Football Insider Verdict
Rashford’s decision to jet out to Barcelona and then join up with the side on their tour of Asia is a bold move.
The Catalan giants cannot register the Englishman until space is made in their budget, and the club desperately need to sell on at least one first-team player this summer.
Rashford is not the only new signing who cannot be registered yet, as one-time Aston Villa target Joan Garcia has not been added to the squad yet.
Last season, Dani Olmo missed the first three opening league games last season, but Barcelona rectified their issues and the Spaniard ultimately featured 39 times in all competitions.
Whilst the situation looks uncertain right now, the Catalan club would surely not have been willing to cover Rashford’s £315,000-a-week wages without a degree of confidence they can register the 27-year-old, meaning the registration issues will likely be sorted without issue.