Barcelona Should Not Sign Rashford Permanently – Xavier Vilajoana

Barcelona presidential candidate Xavier Vilajoana has cast doubt upon the future of Marcus Rashford at the club. He recently had his say while speaking to the press, and fans have been reacting.

According to him, he believes the Catalan giants should consider in-house alternatives before paying €30million (£26m/$35.3m) to sign Rashford permanently from Manchester United.

He added that Harry Kane would definitely be interested in a move to the Nou Camp in the summer.

His words, “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.

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.

What we’re missing is a striker. A centre forward who is capable of linking up play, but who is also a killer in the box.

There is one. In fact, we’ve already made some contact, and I think he’s a player who would be a great fit, pending his contractual situation: it’s Harry Kane.

Kane is a centre forward who would fit in perfectly with our style of play. He’s a striker who is capable of dropping back to link up with his teammates. He is also capable of playing as a pure No.9, a killer, a finisher.

I also know that he likes Barcelona. In fact, there are very few players who don’t like Barcelona. So it’s a matter of talking about it, obviously.”

WOW.

Futbol Club Barcelona is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.

Founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, Catalan, German, and English footballers led by Joan Gamper, the club has become a symbol of Catalan culture and Catalanism, hence the motto “Més que un club” (“More than a club”). Unlike many other football clubs, the supporters own and operate Barcelona. It is the third-most valuable sports team in the world, worth $5.51 billion, and the world’s fourth richest football club in terms of revenue, with an annual turnover of €582.1 million.

The official Barcelona anthem is the “Cant del Barça”, written by Jaume Picas and Josep Maria Espinàs. Barcelona traditionally play in dark shades of blue and garnet stripes, hence nicknamed Blaugrana.

In March 2021, Lionel Messi overtook Xavi’s record of 767 games played for the club, and presently has made 778 official appearances in all competitions, while also holding the record for the most appearances in La Liga matches for Barcelona, with 520.