Although the season is only at its halfway point, the sporting department of FC Barcelona is already working on shaping the squad for next season. No final decisions have been taken yet, but a clear roadmap has been drawn up regarding the attacking unit. As has already been reported, Barça intend to retain Marcus Rashford's services beyond this season. The Catalans have a €30 million purchase option for the Manchester United loanee, although they might look to negotiate a lower fee.
Barca coach Hansi Flick named a strong starting team including Kopa Trophy holder Yamal, top scorer Ferran Torres and England striker Rashford, only for Racing to test visiting goalkeeper Joan Garcia through Suleiman Camara's shot early on. New signing Giorgi Guliashvili also threatened for the prolific Segunda Division leaders, with the reigning Spanish champions only finding an end product for the first time through a Rashford shot that was held by Jokin Ezkieta in the 44th minute.
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is reportedly now also a target for Atletico Madrid in case he doesn't end up staying at Barcelona. The England international is currently on loan at Barca for this season, having fallen out of favour at Old Trafford. But even if Rashford has made a strong start to life at the Nou Camp, it is still not entirely clear if Barcelona will choose to make his move permanent.
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Marcus Rashford at the end of the season. The player is on loan at Barcelona, and they have an option to sign him permanently in the summer. However, Tottenham are also interested in him, and they are hoping to convince him to return to the Premier League. Can Spurs sign Marcus Rashford? According to a report via Fichajes, they would be willing to guarantee him regular first-team action and a prominent role in the side
"My dream was to play for Barcelona when I was young, and I realised that dream, I'm a fan of the club," he said. "Since retirement, I've kept friends there, I have a house there. "The club needed a change, a rebuild, and I wanted to help from the outside. It was not my idea to become sporting director. After his election, the president always said to me: 'You need to become sporting director.'"
- Manchester United are exploring a move for Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde, according to The Daily Mirror. The Red Devils are one of several clubs keen on signing the 27-year-old following a "bust-up" with manager Xabi Alonso, and would be willing to make an offer in the region of €80 million. However, that is expected to fall short of what Los Blancos would be looking for, with the Bernabéu hierarchy insisting on a deal over €100 million given that Valverde remains contracted until the summer of 2029.
Manchester City have joined Arsenal in showing an interest in Elche midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza, the Daily Mail reports. Even though both Premier League clubs have creative midfielders, they will continue to monitor the Spain youth international's progress and any developments in his situation. The 20-year-old is also on Real Madrid's radar In addition to impressing for Elche, where he has scored two goals in 10 appearances for the newly promoted LaLiga side.