Barcelona agree Marcus Rashford penalty clause in loan deal
Barcelona and Manchester United have agreed to a loan deal for Marcus Rashford, which includes a financial safeguard for the English club should the Catalan side opt not to make the move permanent.
Although United were initially targeting a €45 million sale for the England forward, they have settled for a loan arrangement that includes a €30 million purchase option at the end of the 2024/25 season.
Crucially, the deal includes a €5 million penalty clause, payable by Barcelona if they choose not to trigger the buy option.
Rashford arrived in Barcelona on Sunday night and was formally introduced at the club’s training facility on Monday.
The 27-year-old is expected to begin preseason training on Tuesday under new head coach Hansi Flick.
As part of the agreement, Rashford has accepted a 25% wage cut, with Barcelona covering the remainder of his salary.
The structure allows the Spanish club to avoid paying a loan fee, which would have impacted their already tight salary cap under La Liga regulations.
Barcelona are currently grappling with registration issues for several players, including Joan Garcia, Roony Bardghji, and renewed contracts for Wojciech Szczesny and Lamine Yamal.
They are banking on a proposed €100 million VIP seat lease to boost revenue, but further player sales may be required to create the financial space needed to register Rashford and others.
