Marcus Rashford signing for Barcelona from Manchester United permanently this summer could depend on who wins the Catalan club’s upcoming presidential election
Barcelona preliminary presidential candidate Xavier Vilajoana believes the Catalan club should consider re-signing Jan Virgili before deciding whether to make a permanent move for Marcus Rashford during this summer’s transfer window.
Rashford’s loan deal gives Barcelona an option to sign the England international for £26million. However, they also have a clause that enables them to bring Virgili back to the club a year after selling him to Mallorca.
The teenage winger has six assists for them in La Liga during his first season of senior football. Rashford, in comparison, has 10 goals and 13 assists, but is nine years Virgili’s senior.
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Vilajoana, a former Barcelona executive who was head of La Masia, brought up Virgili when discussing the possibility of signing Rashford permanently. He told ESPN: “I am someone who believes you should always look in-house first, as I’ve always said, and then look outside depending on the characteristics of the players you have.
“For example, I want to give the example of Jan Virgili, who is currently playing for Mallorca. He’s a great winger. I would maybe look at [exercising the clause to re-sign him] as an option, for example, rather than paying the Rashford clause.
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“That said, it’s not just the president who arrives and makes the decision. The president arrives, puts things on the table, alternatives are considered, it’s discussed, and a decision is made.
“What I am clear on is that if [signing Rashford] is considered to be the best decision from a sporting point of view, the money will be there to make it happen.”
Vilajoana is one of four confirmed presidential candidates for the 15 March election. Joan Laporta is standing for re-election, while Marc Ciria and Victor Font, who also stood in the last elections five years ago, are his other opponents.
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