Spanish media call out Marcus Rashford as £21million clause is triggered

Marcus Rashford's Barcelona spell has been questioned following the explosive impact of another former Aston Villa forward. Rashford has enjoyed a largely positive season after arriving at the Nou Camp from Manchester United after enjoying a loan spell at Villa during the second half of last season. While Rashford has made it clear he would like to stay in Catalonia – and sever ties with United for good – Barca are having doubts over whether to pay the £26m option they have to sign him permanently. There are suggestions they could kick the can down the road by extending his loan, although United are favouring a clean break. It's clear the La Liga champions aren't entirely convinced about Rashford, who hasn't always been a first-team regular this season, long-term. His future has naturally been a hot topic in Spanish media, with one outlet, SPORT, pointing out the greater impact of Donyell Malen, who has been sensational for Roma since arriving on loan from Villa in January. Having been inconsistent at Villa, the Dutchman has become a talisman for Roma with 14 goals and three assists in 18 games. He even has an outside chance of ending the season as Serie A's top scorer, which would be remarkable for a player who has spent just four months in the league. FOLLOW OUR MAN UTD FB PAGE! Latest United news and more on our dedicated Facebook page Unsurprisingly, Roma are delighted to have triggered his permanent signing for £21m, a little less than it would cost Barca to sign Rashford permanently. SPORT argue that Malen's form should sow another seed of doubt at the Nou Camp. Pointing out the similarities between the pair's journey to their current clubs, they say: "Malen's impact has been much more immediate and decisive. The Dutchman has become Roma's attacking leader and one of the key figures in the Italian league, while Rashford has yet to dispel all the doubts." They add: "His influence goes far beyond statistics. Roma has gone from an inconsistent season to reaching the decisive stretch fighting for a top-four finish in Serie A. What seemed like a risky gamble is now one of the biggest stories of the season in Italian football." Rashford's influence, albeit in a more star-studded team, hasn't been as stark, making the decision over his Barca future far from clear-cut. He reminded Barcelona of his quality with a goal as they clinched the La Liga by beating arch-rivals Real Madrid . After the game, Rashford said: "I don't know. I am not a magician, but if I was, I would stay. So we will see. "I'm very happy, I just want to enjoy today. I live in the moment. At the end of the season, we will see. I came here to win and we do this so I'm very happy. "It's an incredible feeling. Over the season we deserved it, we were the best team. We had some bad moments but we always come back and fight to improve." Join our new WhatsApp community and 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.