Five Marcus Rashford Alternatives For Barcelona

Marcus Rashford’s future is once again up in the air. Although there’s still a chance that he extends his stint in Catalonia, Barcelona will likely be monitoring other alternatives to also plan for life potentially without the on-loan Englishman.

Both Rashford and Barcelona are interested in continuing their bond for longer than the initial one-season deal that saw him join the club last summer. Recent reports suggest that striking a fresh loan with Manchester United for the 2026–27 season is Barcelona’s preferred option to keep Rashford.

However, United might not be keen on facilitating this alternative, instead pressuring Barcelona to trigger the $35 million (£26 million) buy option included in the original loan, something newly re-elected Barcelona president Joan Laporta indicated the club isn’t inclined to to this summer.

Rahsford started his Barça career with 15 goal contributions in 20 games, but he’s since seen his minutes drop and has three goals and one assist in his last 15 appearances with the Catalans, not exactly strengthening his case to make the city his permanent home.

Because of all this, Barcelona could be tempted to explore other players to fill Rashford’s shoes. Here are five alternatives that could be worth the club exploring.

5. Antonio Nusa

Antonio Nusa has blossomed into one of the most exciting young wingers in the Bundesliga, a player oozing with talent that seems bound to make the jump to a European giant sooner rather than later.

He’s a gifted dribbler capable of creating something out of nothing, equally devastating in space as he is taking on players in one-on-one situations. Players of Nusa’s raw natural quality are hard to come by, and he has all the tools to mature into one of the world’s elite wingers.

At 20-years-old, though, Nusa is far from a finished product, evidenced by him having just six goal contributions for RB Leipzig so far this term. There’s plenty of room for improvement in terms of his productivity, but there’s no reason to believe he can’t achieve this, especially after he had two goals and three assists in six games to help Norway return to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years.

Leipzig will likely demand a hefty price tag to let go of Nusa given the growing interest, especially if he has a breakout performance in the World Cup. This detail complicates things for the financially handicapped Barcelona, yet reports suggest the club are closely scouting the young Norwegian.

In terms of long-term potential, signing Nusa could be the dream alternative to replace Rashford.

4. Xavi Simons

Tottenham midfielder Xavi Simon — Xavi Simons spent almost a decade in La Masia. | Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images

The spotlight has been placed on Xavi Simons ever since he was a young teenager wearing Blaugraan colors and dribbling past defenders. A decade later, could the former La Masia prodigy return to where it all started?

Simons was one of the most highly-touted junior talents of the the 2010s, but his time at Barcelona came to an end when he migrated to Paris Saint-Germain at 16-years-old in 2019. Perhaps the Dutchman never reached the all-time great potential many placed on him as an emerging teen, but he’s still matured into a fine playmaker that, at his best, is an undisputed difference maker.

After strong seasons at RB Leipzig, Tottenham Hotspur came knocking last summer. But only a year later, Simons could be searching for a new home given the precarious state of the north London club, who are in danger of getting relegated from the Premier League.

Reports from Spain indicate that Simons has already been offered to Barcelona as he looks for an escape route from his current club. The attacking midfielder would offer positional versatility to Barça, capable of operating in the No. 10 role or either wing, especially the left.

Although he’s a much different profile to Rashford, Simons could be an intriguing alternative for the Catalan giants, who are known to pounce at the chance of bringing back players formed in La Masia, with Dani Olmo being the latest clear example.

3. Ez Abde

Speaking of former La Masia talents, three years after leaving Barcelona on a permanent basis, Morocco international Ez Abde has turned into one of the best wingers in La Liga with Real Betis, and a return could be on the cards.

Abde played 14 games for Barcelona during 2021–22, before leaving on loan to Osasuna and later to Real Betis, (mostly) cutting ties with Catalonia. The raw quality has always been there, but in 2025–26 he’s found the consistency he lacked during his early career.

The 24-year-old is closing in on double digit goals and assists this season, becoming crucial to Betis’ success in what’s been a career year. His natural dribbling ability is matched by his directness and ability to exploit space, traits that make him a perfect successor to Raphinha at Barcelona.

Abde seems like the ideal fit for Hansi Flick’s direct attacking system. With Barcelona also still owning 20% of the player’s rights, his return to Catalonia, this time as a much more complete individual, could be worthy of consideration.

2. Jan Virgili

After getting snubbed by Flick from Barcelona’s preseason tour last summer, Jan Virgili decided to look for a new home eager for top-flight minutes. Mallorca became that place and the 19-year-old is thriving as a starter in his first season in La Liga.

Virgili is widely considered as one of the best young wingers in Spain, evidenced by his strong performance in the 2025 U-20 World Cup last fall. Finding the back of the net has been the lone blemish of his season, but his quality as a playmaker has become abundantly clear with Mallorca, leading the club in assists since his arrival.

When Barcelona defeated Mallorca in February, Virgili got the better of Jules Koundé on a handful of occasions, and a brief conversation with Flick followed by a big hug after the final whistle caught the eye of many.

Although Barcelona don’t have a buy-back clause, they do have an option to match any offer that Mallorca receives. If the island club gets relegated come season’s end, Virgili could be on the move, and Barcelona could be wise to recover one of their own before his price-tag rises even further.

1. Pedro Neto

Pedro Neto’s name has been placed on Barcelona’s orbit in recent weeks, and he could be an intriguing alternative for the Catalans in case Rashford doesn’t continue at the club.

The Portuguese international is a versatile winger capable of operating on either flank. Although he’s at his best when given space to exploit and showcase his speed, he also makes fine deliveries from wide areas that could add a new wrinkle to Barcelona’s attack—especially if they sign a world-class center forward to replace Robert Lewandowski.

Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho and Estêvão accompany Neto in Chelsea’s crowded winger group, and Portuguese wonderkid Geovany Quenda will join the club in the summer. After two up-and-down seasons in west London, Neto could be looking for a new challenge.

Agent Jorge Mendes has a strong relationship with Barcelona, especially with sporting director Deco, facilitating a potential move.

There’s perhaps no team in Europe more synonymous with loaning players out than Chelsea, so striking a deal similar to Rashford’s could be all it takes. All things considered, Neto is an established commodity that could end up being a wise piece of business for Barcelona, especially with him not being asked to be the team’s focal point in attack.

5. Antonio Nusa

4. Xavi Simons

3. Ez Abde

2. Jan Virgili

1. Pedro Neto

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