Barcelona situation means Marcus Rashford transfer is 'not priority' as move in doubt

Former Barcelona star Luis Figo admits Barcelona will give "priority and opportunities" to their young stars over Marcus Rashford because of their financial situation. The forward is spending the year on loan at the Nou Camp and has impressed when given the opportunity. Doubt continues over where the Manchester United loanee will spend next season with the Spanish giants somewhat handicapped financially. They signed him for the season and have a purchase option of £26million, which is good value if they can get Rashford back playing his best. The Englishman is by no means a regular though given the depth of talent available to Hansi Flick in Catalunya. He's battling with the likes of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha for a starting berth whilst Barcelona continue to turn to their academy, which has left Rashford having to make do with a sub role at times. And despite his quality Figo isn't convinced a permanent deal will be struck. He told The Times : “Whenever he has had opportunities, he has shown the quality he has. “But as it’s a loan, it’s hard to say what’s going to happen in the future. Barça have very talented young players, who have been given priority and opportunities because of the financial problems that have stopped them signing much.” If Barcelona are to invest in a new forward, which is likely due to Robert Lewandowski being allowed to leave when his contract expires, then their priority is set to be Julian Alvarez. The Argentine is a leading light at Atletico Madrid and would cost close to £100m if he did leave the Spanish capital. Flick has continued to be asked about Rashford's future, with the player not necessarily being welcomed back in Manchester. It was a clash of attitudes with Ruben Amorim that led to his departure, but even a change in the dugout may not afford him a second chance. The German has said on his loan star: "I'm very happy with Marcus. He has shown his quality and he scored an important goal. I can't say anything about his future, we have to focus on the matches until the end of the season." Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice .