Barcelona hopes United sells Rashford at half price, Flick still wants him! Plans revealed after signing Gordon

On his first day at Barcelona, Anthony Gordon spent most of the time waiting in a hotel. Because of delays in various formalities, his signing ceremony and official unveiling were pushed back by eight hours. The transfer moved so fast that the documentation couldn't catch up. Some fans feared Barcelona's financial problems might cause trouble again, but unfortunately for Rashford and his backers, things turned out differently.

A makeshift press room was set up in the club store next to the Camp Nou. Barcelona's home stadium still looks like a construction site, with full completion not expected until the end of next season. The press conference was originally scheduled for 1 p.m., but waiting photographers were told that Gordon would arrive three hours later than planned. Barcelona stressed that the delay had nothing to do with the club's recent financial troubles. Spanish media reporters waiting on site were told: "The paperwork is still ongoing."

At 3 p.m., the waiting crowd went for lunch. Not because they forgot to eat, but because the Spanish lunch rush is typically between 2 and 3 p.m., sometimes even as late as 4 p.m.! Gordon himself had to patiently wait at the Melina Hotel on Barcelona's famous Diagonal Avenue, just a 10-minute drive from Camp Nou.

Barcelona's club president Joan Laporta, vice-president Rafael Yuste, and sporting director Deco were busy completing various transfer formalities. It wasn't until the evening that Gordon finally took the stage as a Barcelona player, becoming the sixth most expensive signing in the club's history.

He joined Barcelona for €80 million (£69.3 million), including £8.7 million in add-ons. This fee will be paid in installments over the five-year duration of his contract, meaning Barcelona only needs to pay £15.6 million this summer to complete the registration of the 25-year-old. This is crucial in La Liga, especially for a club like Barcelona operating under financial restrictions.

Furthermore, the Daily Mail revealed that Gordon's weekly wage is £200,000, much lower than the previously rumored £300,000, and also lower than Rashford's earnings. Compared to the £400,000 per week Robert Lewandowski received in the final year of his contract last season, it represents a significant saving.

Although Barcelona's spending limit last summer was capped at €27 million, it is expected that the Spanish league will inform the reigning champions next month that the financial restrictions imposed on them in past years have been fully lifted. This is exactly the good news the club has been waiting for.

Since 2017, Barcelona has been paying Messi €137 million annually. That same year, they sold Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain for €222 million, but that money was squandered. Barcelona signed Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool for £142 million, Ousmane Dembélé from Borussia Dortmund for £135 million, and Antoine Griezmann from Atlético Madrid for £120 million.

Later, Barcelona had to sell all three players at huge losses and let Messi join PSG for free in 2021. Combined with the renovation of Camp Nou, Barcelona accumulated a massive debt of €1.5 billion. This immediately violated La Liga's financial fair play rules, which set a ceiling on each club's total wage spending, with penalties for clubs that exceed it.

The punishment Barcelona faced for exceeding the limit was a ban on signing new players unless La Liga confirmed that the club's spending during the same period did not exceed 25% of the funds obtained from player transfer income. Specifically, Barcelona had to sell a player for €40 million to be able to sign someone for €10 million.

In 2024, this restriction was eased to 50%, and later increased to 70%. This summer, it will return to a 1:1 ratio. This means Barcelona can now smoothly register Gordon in La Liga.

That was also the moment Rashford was waiting for. With the restrictions lifted, if Manchester United is willing to lower their asking price, Rashford could still theoretically remain at Camp Nou. However, Barcelona still needs to offload some players to balance the books, and Newcastle United might help them achieve that goal.

After selling Gordon, Newcastle is interested in signing Real Betis winger Abde Ezzalzouli, who is one of the most likely candidates to replace Gordon's starting position at St. James' Park. Barcelona still holds 20% of the Moroccan international's ownership rights. Assuming Newcastle pays the €60 million release clause, Barcelona would receive €12 million; additionally, Barcelona is close to selling Ansu Fati to Monaco for €12 million.

Rashford has scored 14 goals and provided 14 assists for Barcelona this season. Barcelona has the option to buy him outright for €30 million (£26 million) before June 15. However, Barcelona will not pay that amount and hopes to force Manchester United to lower the price by exploiting their desire to reduce wage burden, as Rashford's current contract runs until 2028 and his weekly wage of £325,000 is the highest in the squad.

The Daily Mail reports that Barcelona wants to sign Rashford for €15 million (£13 million), or extend his loan for another year. If Manchester United insists on a full payment for a permanent transfer, Barcelona will walk away. Coach Hansi Flick wants Rashford to stay, and he is part of Barcelona's future plans, but not irreplaceable.

Barcelona's decision to sign Gordon at a higher price is due to amortization costs and age factors, as well as the fact that the English winger possesses the tenacity and efficient work ethic Flick desires, which are quite different from Rashford's. Barcelona's goal for next season is to end an 11-year wait and win the Champions League again.

After securing Gordon, Barcelona is also close to signing Manchester City's Bernardo Silva on a free transfer, and plans to bring in a center-forward. Deco has met with the agent of Chelsea striker João Pedro, who would be an alternative if Barcelona fails to sign Julián Álvarez from Atlético Madrid.

Rashford wants to stay at Barcelona and continue playing in the Champions League. Another hope for him lies in the injury troubles of Brazilian winger Raphinha, who could be sold to the Saudi Professional League. If Barcelona makes a commitment to bring in Rashford, the 29-year-old English winger might pressure Manchester United to lower their price, similar to how the story of Antony and Betis unfolded last season.

After delivering his presentation speech in fluent Spanish, Gordon will fly back to England to prepare for the World Cup. He will meet Rashford at St. George's Park, where the two will compete for the starting left-wing spot in the World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Just like at Barcelona, Tuchel also prefers Gordon to start.

On his personal social media, Rashford, as usual, posted a video of himself training hard during the holidays and wrote: "Keep moving."