Marcus Rashford in nightmare Barcelona situation – ‘there are registration issues’
Marcus Rashford’s move from Manchester United to Barcelona is set to be confirmed in the coming days.
The England international’s days at Old Trafford have been numbered ever since Ruben Amorim arrived, as it was clear the Portuguese manager did not see him as part of his plans.
Last season, the 27-year-old spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Aston Villa, but Unai Emery’s side opted against making the deal permanent.
Now, Rashford seems to have finally found an exit route, and the winger will hope to kickstart his career at Barcelona.
However, Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that the United academy graduate could run into a difficult situation with the Spanish giants.
‘Barcelona could struggle to register Rashford’
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness insisted that Rashford’s dream move to Barcelona could very quickly turn into a nightmare if the Catalan club suffer with registration issues once again.
Last season, the Spanish champions struggled to register new signing Dani Olmo after failing to meet wage cap restrictions.
Wyness added that La Liga are “right onto” Barcelona and that it may not be as easy as they think to complete the Rashford deal.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “It’s a weird situation this one with Rashford. While they may have agreed a deal and he’s going down there, and apparently he’s training and all the rest of it, they still don’t know if they can register him.
“That’s the weird situation about this whole thing. In order for him to be registered, the claims are that he’s reduced his wages, etc. Well, from my reading of it, I don’t think he’s reduced his wages.
“What they’ve probably done, and this is a guess, is that he would have been paid a certain amount of money for his image rights and that would have been part of his wages. So he probably won’t lose any money because he’ll just do it separately.
“It just means that there is no guarantee for those image rights from Barcelona. So I don’t think he’s actually going to be going to the poor house due to taking a cut in his wages.
“It’s this whole incredible Barcelona situation that we had with Olmo last year, where he wasn’t registered. Rashford could end up in a difficult situation here if they’re not careful, but they’ve obviously been given assurances that they can get this through.
“At the moment, it’s like a three-card trick with Barcelona, first you see it, now you don’t. It’s amazing their sleight of hand, and La Liga is right onto them, so I’m watching this one very closely and it may not be as easy as they think.
“Also, I think when Rashford went to Villa on loan, the buyout clause was £40m if they wanted to make him permanent. I think that’s been reduced to £30m, so that helps slightly, but then again, there are some bigger issues to be resolved in the short term.
“Let’s watch this space on Rashford and what goes on. They claim he’s got his dream, but that dream could turn into a nightmare very quickly.”
Man United make decision on signing Chelsea star
Meanwhile, Manchester United will only make a move for Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson if the price is right, sources have told Football Insider.
Jackson has been heavily linked with a Stamford Bridge exit this summer, after the Blues signed Liam Delap and Joao Pedro.
However, sources say that United are in a difficult financial position, and they can’t afford to sign the 24-year-old if Chelsea set a high asking price.
Reportedly, the West London side want over £80million for the Senegal international, which would be too expensive for the Red Devils (Sky Sports).
For more Man United and exclusive news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.