Barcelona are already weighing up whether to send Marcus Rashford back to Manchester United, according to a sensational report in Spain.
The forward finally secured his dream move to the Nou Camp this summer, joining the club on loan from United with an option to buy for £30million included in the deal.
Rashford had been determined to join the LaLiga giants after confirming he wanted to bring an end to his United nightmare at the end of last year, and his wishes were granted after they were unable to land targets Luis Diaz and Nico Williams.
Able to play off the left or through the middle, the 27-year-old England international represented a cost-effective and versatile option for Hansi Flick.
He impressed during pre-season but has since been unable to reach the same heights, failing to score a goal or record an assist in his first three league matches.
However, El Nacional have alleged that figures are concerned with Rashford’s displays, having seen him as a player able to make an immediate impact.
Barcelona are reportedly considering sending Marcus Rashford back to Manchester United
Rashford escaped his Old Trafford nightmare this summer, joining the LaLiga giants on loan
Damningly, the publication have described Rashford as going ‘completely unnoticed’ in games, as well as ‘shy, imprecise and lost’. As a result, he is reportedly expected to improve soon, otherwise he faces the prospect of being sent back to Old Trafford.
In return, Barcelona would reportedly have to pay €5m euros (£4.3m), if they decide not to exercise the permanent clause at the end of the season.
It is said that club president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco have made no secret of the fact they were never fully convinced over Rashford, having tried much earlier in the summer to snap up Williams and Diaz instead.
Rashford was a personal bet from boss Flick, who believed he would be able to help the ace rediscover his best form after several campaigns of stagnation at United.
He had made his LaLiga debut off the bench in the 3-0 victory over Mallorca, before being given his first start for the trip to Levante on August 23.
Despite looking lively early on, he was hooked at half-time with the champions trailing 2-0, with Flick responding by replacing him with Dani Olmo.
The changes paid off almost instantly as Pedri and Ferran Torres struck in quick succession to level the scores before Unai Elgezabal’s stoppage-time own goal completed a dramatic 3-2 comeback win for Barcelona.
Explaining why Rashford was withdrawn, Flick said: ‘Of course, the second half, we have to change something. Raphinha on the [left] side is our No 11.
He has failed to impress in his three league appearances and is under pressure to improve
Hansi Flick is said to have personally backed himself to help Rashford rediscover his top form
‘He knows everything; what we want to do when he has to come inside.
‘I think we got the right changes. But of course, when we score the first goal so early in the second half, it helps a lot for us and changed the strategy.’
Despite the early substitution, Flick insisted he was satisfied with Rashford’s contribution, adding: ‘I think Marcus had some situations in the first half where he showed how good he is and how he can help us.
‘This is, for me, where we have to continue.’
