Deco offers fresh update on Marcus Rashford's Barcelona future and explains why 'it's not done yet'

Speculation has claimed that Barcelona will activate the purchase option in Rashford's loan move to keep him at Camp Nou. Deco has been quizzed about the situation and explained what his thinking is with regards the England international. He told reporters on Sunday: "Rashford staying? We have a clear idea regarding Rashford and we know what needed to be done for him to stay.

Expanding on the delay, Deco added: "But the matter is tied to financial fair play, priorities, performance, and the coach's decision, and it's something we haven't done yet because it's not the right time." These factors indicate that while Rashford has impressed, he is part of a larger puzzle that Hansi Flick and the board are still piecing together.

The path to keeping Rashford in Spain is not without its obstacles. Barcelona continue to operate under tight financial constraints, and there has been speculation that the club could try to convince Manchester United to agree to another loan instead of a permanent transfer. President elect Joan Laporta has hinted that is the route Barcelona could look to go down. He said: "We could extend the loan further. It depends on what Deco wants. There are formulas, such as paying part of the buy option to Manchester United and figuring out the rest later."

Rashford arrived at Barcelona with a specific framework already in place. The loan agreement between the two European giants included a €30 million purchase option, which was supplemented by a pre-agreed contract structure should the Catalan club decide to make the move permanent at the end of the season.

Barcelona's financial constraints mean the Catalans have been tipped to try and lower Manchester United's asking price for Rashford, but the Red Devils do not want to budge when it comes to price.

Barcelona will have to renegotiate with Manchester United if they wish to modify the existing agreement, a situation that United may welcome.

After scoring 10 goals and providing 13 assists for the Blaugrana, Rashford's market value has surged well beyond the €30m fee agreed upon last summer. While his price is likely to rise significantly in any new talks, sources suggest Barca are unlikely to back out. A final decision on a permanent deal will be deferred until the end of the season to fully assess the success of his loan spell.