Marcus Rashford’s Barcelona loan has cost Man Utd €15m

 Marcus Rashford’s loan move to Barcelona has generally been considered a successful one in Spain – but back at Manchester United, it would not be surprising if there were more misgivings about a deal that may have cost the Red Devils €15 million.

The main aim of the deal from United’s perspective was to offload Rashford, who had been exiled by Ruben Amorim and had apparently no way back at Old Trafford.

The 28-year-old was therefore sent to Barcelona in a deal that the Red Devils no doubt expected would become permanent this summer. With a buyout fee of just €30m in the agreement, Rashford looked both attainable and affordable.

Barca, though, want to renegotiate the terms of the deal. Despite agreeing a contract with Rashford, who has agreed a pay cut to move to Spain on a full-time basis, events have left the Primera Division leaders pondering whether he is a luxury they can afford.

A new striker is required and an additional centre-back are both higher up their shopping list, and as such the Blaugrana are pushing for another loan agreement.

Man Utd’s negotiating position, meanwhile, has grown €15m weaker.

Rashford’s value has been slashed

Rashford’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) has plummeted since moving to Barcelona.

When he left Man Utd last summer, he was valued at €53.6m. This has dropped to just €38.5m, representing a depreciation of €15.1m.

Why has this happened?

With two years left to run on his Man Utd contract, pressure to sell does not explain his drop. At 28 years old, meanwhile, he is getting to the stage where his value will naturally drop, but equally this cannot justify such a big change.

Rather, the major factor would appear to be a lack of game time. He has started only 23 matches across all competitions this season, while he ranks 14th in minutes played in La Liga.

Why this matters for Man Utd

The combination of a low valuation but high wages is a toxic one for United, who would have been banking on landing a higher fee for Rashford if Barcelona did not take up their bargain purchase clause.

That’s unlikely to come as his value drops - particularly when it’s known that a player is on the market. Aston Villa and Tottenham are reportedly interested, but there’s hardly a flood of clubs chasing him – at least for the moment.

Interim Man Utd boss Michael Carrick has indicated that Rashford would be welcome back at Old Trafford.

“There's decisions to be made on certain things, and obviously Marcus is in that situation,” Carrick told the media.

“But at this point in time, nothing's been decided. It will be, because it has to be at a certain point, but at this stage, there's nothing to say.

“Whoever's here, I want to work with, and help them improve.

“At the moment, it's this squad of players. There's obviously players on loan, and whatever happens with that later on will happen. But certainly, as a coach, and leader of a squad, we want to get the best out of everyone.”

Despite these words, there is cynicism about whether this would be the case.

Uncertainty helps Barcelona

Rashford may not be at Old Trafford for the moment, but he remains a headache for Man Utd.

His value has dropped more than the club would have anticipated, weaking their position when it comes to negotiating a sale.

Barcelona, meanwhile, are not panicking; they know the developing situation is playing into their hands.