Barcelona acquires Rashford from Manchester United at a low price

Barcelona has agreed to make the signing of Marcus Rashford permanent after failing to lower the £26 million release fee for the player.

Barcelona is reported to have agreed to sign Marcus Rashford permanently following his loan spell at the Catalan club. The English forward joined the LaLiga giants last summer, having fallen out of favor at Manchester United and seeking a new environment to regain his form and status.

The 28-year-old Rashford is enjoying his time in Spain and has publicly expressed his desire to stay with Barcelona after the season ends. According to SPORT, the Camp Nou side has committed to activating the purchase option included in his loan agreement.

In the initial agreement, Barcelona secured the right to sign Rashford for £26 million. The club's management and the player's representatives are said to have held negotiations to finalize the deal, despite previous attempts by the Spanish side to negotiate a lower fee.

At present, £26 million for a player of Rashford's caliber is considered a bargain and a very favorable deal for Hansi Flick's team. The payment will even be spread over three years.

However, to comply with LaLiga's financial structure and fair play regulations, Rashford has agreed to a significant salary reduction. His weekly wage will drop from £315,000 to around £190,000, and he will sign a three-year contract with Barcelona.

His on-field performances have convinced the club to offer him a long-term deal. In 34 appearances across all competitions, the English forward has scored 10 goals and provided 13 assists, playing a key role in the title race as Barcelona leads LaLiga, one point ahead of Real Madrid.

A product of Manchester United's academy, Rashford has never won a domestic league title in his career, though he has lifted the FA Cup, the League Cup twice, and the Europa League with the Old Trafford side. He will soon return to England when Barcelona faces Newcastle in the Champions League round of 16 at St James' Park on March 10, where he previously scored a brace in a 2-1 league phase victory.