Marcus Rashford has made a fine start to life at Barcelona, but there is a chance that he is not signed permanently by the Catalans. In this case, they would be prepared to step up their interest in an alternative target.
Rashford struggled in the early stages of his time in Spanish football, but in recent weeks, he has shone. In Barcelona’s last seven matches, he has registered three goals and four assists, and he will be keen to continue that form after the international break. But if he cannot, he risks not staying in Catalonia.
Barcelona have an option to buy Rashford for a fee in the region of €30m, which looks good value right now. However, it is not set in stone that they seek to trigger that next summer, and if they don’t, MD have reported that they will step up their interest in Dinamo Zagreb starlet Cardoso Varela.
Barcelona have been tracking Varela for some time, and they see the 16-year-old as a top talent that could make an immediate impact on the first team. He can be signed for as little as €5m, which would be significantly less than Rashford, so it could be something that club officials prefer.
Barcelona could be forced into earlier action with Varela
Barcelona are not planning a move for Varela at the moment, as they have a firm grasp on his situation. However, they could be forced into action sooner as Chelsea are also said to be interested in the Portuguese youngster – and this could also have a knock-on effect for Rashford.
For now, Barcelona will continue to keep tabs on both situations: with Rashford and Varela. The former will almost certainly stay if he keeps up his impressive form, but there will be pressure on him, given that an alternative has already been lined up.
