Barcelona stars Frenkie de Jong and Robert Lewandowski have both hailed Marcus Rashford as the club weigh up signing him on a permanent basis. Rashford, 28, has entered the final month of his season-long loan at Barca, who can keep him by paying Manchester United a £26 million fee.
Rashford's Impact at Barcelona
The England international has scored 13 goals despite being in and out of the starting XI. Manager Hansi Flick prefers Raphinha, but the Brazilian's injury woes have opened the door for Rashford throughout the campaign. Rashford also has 11 assists, the latest of which came in Saturday's crucial 2-1 win against Osasuna. After coming on as a substitute, the United loanee whipped in a superb cross for Lewandowski to power home and break the deadlock on 81 minutes.
Lewandowski's Praise
Post-match, Lewandowski lauded Rashford's 'beautiful' ball in. "He has incredible crossing ability," the 37-year-old began. "Sometimes, it's not about power, it's about perfect precision. I'm a striker, and I can tell you that ball was beautiful. It was perfect for me to slot it in."
De Jong's Admiration
The victory means that Barcelona can clinch the La Liga title on Sunday by beating arch rivals Real Madrid in the first El Clasico at Camp Nou since March 2023. De Jong was also on the pitch to witness Rashford's moment of quality and has heaped praise on him in an interview with the Guardian. "A really good guy," the midfielder said. "Open and kind and he's also having a big impact for us on the pitch. With his speed and depth, he really adds a lot to our game. And by doing so, he also forces the opponent's defence to drop back a bit, which creates more space for us in the middle."
Flick's Approval
Flick is a big fan, too, praising Rashford after he capped off last weekend's 2-0 victory over Getafe. "He played a great game," the Barcelona manager said. "This is what we want to see from him. I'm very happy about his goal because it's important for us, and it's important that he contributes."
Rashford has made no secret of his desire to remain at Barca. After hosting Real, the Spanish giants travel to Deportivo Alaves before their final home game against Real Betis. On the final day, they visit Valencia.
