Former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has expressed his opinion on whether Marcus Rashford’s loan agreement should be made permanent this summer by the club.
The English player, currently on loan from Manchester United, set the stage for the Catalans’ El Clasico victory on Sunday by scoring a free-kick in the ninth minute.
The Blaugrana have the option to permanently sign Rashford for €30 million.
However, the LaLiga champions have not yet disclosed their position regarding the extension of his contract with the club.
Following Rashford’s remarkable performance against Real Madrid, Koeman clarified his viewpoint on the matter.
The Dutch coach emphasized that Barcelona would ‘deeply regret’ if they chose not to secure Rashford on a permanent basis.
Koeman is of the opinion that €30 million is a steal for a player of Rashford’s caliber. He also pointed out how the forward ‘thoroughly dismantled’ Real Madrid in the El Clasico with his pace and intensity.
Koeman was cited by Diario AS as saying, “If Barcelona allows him to return to Manchester United after this loan, I believe they will deeply regret it.
“Because 30 million euros in today’s market for a player with these attributes, these statistics, this experience… that is a bargain.
“Rashford poses a threat to teams. Madrid appeared frightened every time he turned and sprinted. Against Real Madrid, he utterly overwhelmed them on the counter-attack. The speed, the intensity, the directness, the confidence—Madrid could not cope with him.”
Koeman concluded by stating that it would be ‘absurd’ if the Barcelona management opted against signing Rashford permanently due to hesitance about paying €30 million for him.
“Every time Barcelona moved forward, he was the threat. He scores a free kick in El Clásico, stretches the entire defensive line, creates numerical advantages, presses, gets behind the defense, and yet there are individuals within the club who hesitate to pay 30 million euros? That seems absurd to me.”