Barcelona president Joan Laporta has spoken about Marcus Rashford’s situation at the club following the Manchester United loanee’s remarkable miss in the club’s final pre-season match
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has provided a positive update on Marcus Rashford’s chances of being registered as part of the club’s La Liga squad.
Rashford joined Barcelona on a season-long loan from Manchester United this summer, and they have the option to make the forward’s move permanent. Rashford, who was loaned to Aston Villa at the start of the year, is likely to have played his last game in a United shirt.
The 27-year-old will relish the opportunity to play for Barcelona as he looks to rediscover his best form in Spain while competing for major honours. However, the United loanee is not currently registered as a Barcelona player, with the club working to comply with La Liga’s financial regulations.
Rashford and fellow new signing Joan Garcia are among a handful of players who are not yet officially part of Hansi Flick’s squad for the upcoming league campaign. The reigning champions are set to begin their title defence against Mallorca on Saturday.
Barcelona faced similar financial struggles last season, with both Dani Olmo and Pau Victor having their temporary licenses revoked in January. Despite the club’s previous challenges, Barcelona president Laporta has spoken positively about the chances of registering Rashford and his new team-mates.
“We’re working to make it happen. With Marc’s decision, we have the option of registering Joan Garcia, and we’re working on the rest,” Laporta told TV3, as reported by Spanish outlet Sport. “This week we’ll have news, hopefully good news, to see if we can register them before La Liga starts. And if we can’t, we have time.”
Laporta was referring to the resolution of a dispute with club captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The experienced goalkeeper initially rejected a request for his medical report to be sent to La Liga. Depending on the extent of Ter Stegen’s injury, Barcelona could use a portion of his salary to register a new player.
While Rashford waits for Barcelona to resolve their registration issues, he has insisted that he is not worried about the situation. “It’s something for the club to sort out. I believe they are going to get it sorted,” he told reporters. “I just focus on training and be ready for the start of the season.”
On Sunday, Rashford was in action against Como as Barcelona won their annual Joan Gamper Trophy match. Flick’s side defeated the Italian side 5-0 after racing into a 4-0 lead by the interval, but Rashford, who had scored on his previous outing, failed to find the net after an astonishing miss at the end of the first half.
Bearing down on goal in stoppage time, Rashford successfully rounded goalkeeper Jean Butez, but somehow conspired to fire wide of the open net from close range. A selection of fans on social media subsequently mocked his miss.
One account wrote on X: “Miss of the season from Rashford?” A second added: “We are gonna pretend that Rashford didn’t miss that.” A third stated: “Rashford with the miss of 25/26 already.”
Rashford did not have time to make up for his error as he was one of two half-time substitutes. However, he did provide an assist for Raphina, with braces from Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal ensuring that Barcelona ended their pre-season schedule emphatically.
