Marcus Rashford passes Barcelona referendum as members vote to sign Man Utd loanee on permanent transfer

Rashford has been instrumental in Barcelona's fine start to the season having provided six assists and scored an additional two goals for Hansi Flick's side. After a minor blip, Barcelona capitalised upon Real Madrid's downturn in form to head into La Liga's winter break top of the table.

A 2-0 victory at Villarreal last weekend extended Barcelona's winning run to eight matches as they maintained their lead at the top of the table to four points. And as Barcelona continue to shine domestically, members have voted in favour of making Rashford's move permanent.

In a poll from Catalan outlet Mundo Deportivo put to Barca club members, 54.6% of those surveyed support his permanent signing, while 35.6% oppose retaining Rashford's services. A further 6.3% believe it is best to wait until the end of the season before deciding the striker's future at Spotify Camp Nou.

The vote will come as a boost for Rashford, who admitted earlier this month that he wants to stay at Barcelona.

Speaking with Spanish publication SPORT, Rashford said: "What I want is to stay at Barca. It's the ultimate goal, but it's not the reason I'm training hard and giving my all. The purpose is to win. Barca is a huge, fantastic club, built to win titles."

Asked about his early impressions of the city and how he has settled in at the club, Rashford replied: "I'm settling in really well at the club and in the city. From the moment I arrived, I felt very welcomed.

"For me, the reason I'm here is to help the team win trophies; last season was fantastic, but life moves very fast, things change, and the goal is to repeat those successes. I'm totally focused on that. Everything has been fantastic with the staff and my teammates; I have no complaints."

And Rashford stated that he is in the "perfect place" to continue his career: "I'm in the perfect place and environment to continue my journey as a footballer, so I'm just trying to give my best every day and help the team win. We'll see what happens next summer."

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

Barcelona boss Flick has also previously spoken highly of Rashford, as the German insisted that the on-loan forward had the "right mindset" to succeed with the Spanish giants. "When I talk to the players, I explain why they didn't play," Flick said recently. "When I tried to explain to Rashford why he wasn't a starter, he said: 'You don't need to explain to me.' The important thing is that the team wins and we get the three points. Nothing else matters. This is the right mindset and I'm glad it's with us."

However, while the members' poll was favourable for Rashford, the same couldn't be said for teammate Robert Lewandowski. The Poland international's current deal expires at the end of the season, though Barcelona have an option to extend his deal by a further year.

59.3% of members surveyed answered 'no' to extending Lewandowski's stay at the club, while just 31.6% voted to retain the 37-year-old's services. 5.3% did not express an opinion on Lewandowski's future and 3.6% claimed they would decide based on terms of the striker's new contract.

The members vote comes after Lewandowski confirmed a story that Barcelona had asked the former Bayern Munich hitman to not score goals in a money-saving measure at the end of the 2022-23 La Liga season. With the title already sewn up, and Lewandowski on 23 league goals, the experienced striker was requested to refrain from hitting the back of the net in the final weeks of the season. Two more goals would have triggered an additional €2.5m to former club Bayern with Barcelona enduring financial difficulties, senior figures were keen to avoid extra outgoing costs.

During an interview with Polish journalist Bogdan Rymanowski, Lewandowski admitted that the report was correct, acknowledging the request and the broader context behind the ask. "There are things I don’t want to talk about. I respect Barcelona and the people who work there a lot. I was aware of the club’s situation. There were many other situations that needed to be resolved for the good of the club," Lewandowski said.

The striker addressed the logic directly, confirming the motivation was monetary rather than tactical, adding: "In short, it was a bonus, and it is known that at that time Barcelona looked to save every euro. It was no small thing, and for me, nothing changed either.

Lewandowski, though, added the request left a lasting impression, stating: "I have no problem with that, but it stuck in my head and I wondered whether to score a goal or not."