Barcelona's sporting director, Deco, has stated that the Spanish giants will prioritize renewing contracts before considering any new signings when asked about the club's interest in Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford. The Catalan club is among several European teams linked with the out-of-favor forward. While AC Milan's interest has cooled and doubts have been raised about Rashford's desire to join Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona is considered the "dream" destination for the English international.
Earlier this month, reports suggested that Barcelona was preparing a bid for Rashford, but Deco has been keen to downplay any transfer speculation. Ahead of Tuesday's Champions League first-round penultimate match between Barcelona and Benfica, Deco was questioned about his meeting with United intermediary Arturo Canales in Lisbon to discuss any potential transfer of Rashford. "We are discussing [financial] fair play issues," Deco told Movistar, "arranging it, and if we can ultimately strengthen the team, we will try, but there is nothing today."
Deco emphasized that Barcelona's top priority is to ensure they do not violate La Liga's strict financial regulations. The club has already had to appeal to the Spanish government to secure the emergency (and temporary) registration of Dani Olmo and Paul Victor this season.
Barcelona is also actively negotiating new contracts for several first-team players, which will put additional pressure on the club's fragile financial situation. "These are all fair play issues, and today's top priority is to renew the contracts of our key players," Deco declared. "Once all this is over, we can focus on reinforcing one area or another, but this is not something the head coach is asking us to do."
The latest reports from the British media indicate that Rashford is eager to stay at Old Trafford and fight for his place. Since mid-December, Ruben Amorim has not given the 27-year-old a single minute of first-team playing time, but it is said that the lifelong Manchester United fan is undergoing extra training to find a way back into the head coach's plans.