Marcus Rashford has done everything in his power to secure a permanent move to Barcelona following his final appearance on loan for the Catalan club. The winger is set to return to Manchester United this summer after featuring in a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Valencia on Saturday.
The ball is now firmly in Barcelona’s court as to whether they will stump up the £26million long understood to be sufficient to sign Rashford on a permanent basis. Yet some scathing assessments of the 28-year-old’s contribution in a listless defeat against Los Che suggested he still has work to do to win over certain critics.
Spanish outlet Sport’s one-word verdict on Rashford’s performance at the Mestalla was “tough”, awarding him a six out of 10. Yet that was just the start of the scrutiny, as the Catalan outlet dissected what it considered an uninspired showing from the forward.
“That’s the typical adjective used to describe someone who runs a lot but doesn’t finish anything,” read the rest of his review. “At Barca, you have to demand more from a winger, beyond the Englishman’s extraordinary stats.”
Rashford completed 89 per cent of his passes against Valencia (32 in total), the second-highest of any Barcelona starter not in defence. However, he failed to register a shot at the Mestalla and completed just one dribble (one of only three Barcelona starters to do so).
Mundo Deportivo was not quite as scathing in its own assessment of what could prove to be Rashford’s farewell performance. Instead, greater consistency was called for from the Englishman, whose display was labelled “intermittent.”
The verdict continued: “Lacking consistency in his play, with moments of prominence thanks to his crosses into the box, and too many minutes spent missing.”
It is worth bearing in mind that it was only a fortnight ago Rashford scored a stunning free-kick in El Clasico to help clinch the title. That strike against Real Madrid brought his tally to 14 goals and 14 assists during his loan spell at Barca.
Expecting such moments week in, week out would be unrealistic, and his statistics undeniably speak for themselves. Nevertheless, similar concerns have occasionally arisen at United in previous years, as more reliable delivery of those sporadic flashes of brilliance remains the ultimate objective.
Finally, Football Espana awarded Rashford a 6.5 out of 10 and described his final outing in Barcelona colours as “bright at times.” However, it went on to note that “in possibly his final Barcelona appearance, Rashford was unable to make an impact in attack.”
The £26m permanent clause in Rashford’s contract has long been widely regarded as a bargain. And his performances in La Liga have only served to reinforce the conviction that there is genuine value to be had for the Catalans should they choose to exercise it.
Michael Carrick has reportedly made no secret of his wish to reunite with his former team-mate at Old Trafford this summer. And Barcelona’s misfortune could yet prove to be United’s windfall, now that the Old Trafford legend has been confirmed as permanent manager.