Marcus Rashford has revealed he would relish prolonging his stint at Barcelona, although he remains uncertain about what lies ahead this summer. The 28-year-old, on loan from Manchester United, netted the opener against Real Madrid with a magnificent free-kick on Sunday evening.
Ferran Torres added a second moments later as Hansi Flick's outfit clinched the La Liga crown with a 2-0 victory over their fiercest adversaries. Rashford is fulfilling a boyhood ambition with a fruitful campaign in Spain after losing his place under Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford.
As the season approaches its conclusion, conjecture persists regarding the England international's destiny. Barcelona possess a £26million purchase option to secure his signature permanently, which they have until June 15 to activate.
While Rashford has consistently expressed his desire to remain in Catalonia, he acknowledged after the match that he still doesn't know what awaits him. "I don't know. I am not a magician, but if I was, I would stay. So we will see," Rashford said in the mixed zone.
The forward is hardly a guaranteed starter given the abundance of attacking options at Flick's disposal. He is vying with the likes of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha for a spot in the team, while Barca's ongoing commitment to their youth system has frequently seen him relegated to the substitutes' bench.
Reports have indicated the Spanish giants, who continue to grapple with financial constraints, are unlikely to activate Rashford's buyout clause while other suggestions claim the transfer fee and salary package are deemed too steep. It's understood Barca would favour extending the loan arrangement, given his wages would revert to £315,000-a-week if a permanent move is finalised.
A return to Old Trafford is also improbable as it is understood United would rather capitalise on his sale despite there being the prospect that Michael Carrick could be installed as the new head coach. That alone may not prove sufficient to secure him another opportunity, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe eager to remove his substantial wages from the payroll.
United are determined to reduce their wage bill this summer, with Casemiro and Jadon Sancho both poised to depart - their exits would save the club more than £500,000-a-week.
Flick, meanwhile, has consistently expressed his satisfaction working with Rashford whenever questioned about his future. The German manager has commented on his loanee, saying: "I'm very happy with Marcus. He has shown his quality and he scored an important goal. I can't say anything about his future, we have to focus on the matches until the end of the season."
Claiming the La Liga title and the Spanish Supercopa has been firmly on Rashford's agenda ever since he first touched down on Spanish soil. "It's really good. I come here to win," he added. "So this is, I want to win as many things as I can. So, this is one more to add to this. Yeah, this team is a wonderful team. They're going to win so much in the future as well. So, to be a part of that would be special. So we will see."
