Marcus Rashford has been in impressive form since joining Barcelona on loan from Manchester United, but Louis Saha has a warning for the Spanish club over making the move permanent.
The England forward fell down the pecking order under Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford last season, first joining Aston Villa on loan in January.
The 28-year-old then left Manchester United on another short-term deal, signing with Barcelona for a year and things have been going well so far.
Rashford has been a regular in Hansi Flick’s team, scoring six goals so far and also proving to be a creative force, most recently providing two assists for Robert Lewandowski in a 4-2 win over Celta Vigo at the weekend.
Barcelona have an option to make Rashford’s loan move permanent, in a deal which has reported as worth £26m-£30m.
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For a player who is performing well in Barcelona’s starting XI that seems like a very decent price, but Saha is not so sure.
Three of Rashford’s last four seasons in the Premier League were underwhelming and the Frenchman feels that inconsistency should remain a worry for Barca.
‘I think Marcus Rashford does provide a bit of worry. You have to manage him. What happened to him at United?’ former Red Devils striker Saha told OLBG.
‘I think something could happen again so I think that he has to have his own objective. I think he needs to come back to that level and maintain that to be in the World Cup and win it. That’s what I hope for him.
‘But yes, it’s not a bargain because of what he went through in a really tough moment. He didn’t play well for two years. He had a lot of issues.
‘Now they are solved and it’s not solved because of United, just because he is in a new environment. I think he managed to get back to the basics, which is good for him.’
Rashford has made it clear he would like to stay at Barcelona beyond his current loan spell, telling ESPN: ‘For sure.
‘I’m enjoying this football club and I think for anybody who loves football, Barcelona is one of the key clubs in the history of the game. For a player it is an honour.’
The Englishman is likely to have to take a pay-cut on his Manchester United wages, reported to be £300,000-a-week, in order to sign a permanent contract with Barca.
Marcus Rashford Barcelona stats
La Liga
Apps: 12
Goals: 2
Assists: 7
Champions League
Apps: 4
Goals: 4
Assists: 2
Spanish publication SPORT report that talks are already underway over extending his stay with the Catalan giants, but there are still details to be ironed out.
The loan star has earned praise from manager Flick, who has been impressed by his improvement since joining Barcelona and his versatility as either a left winger or centre forward.
‘Rashford is a good option as a No. 9, but he can also play as an No. 11,’ Flick said last month. ‘That’s what we thought when we signed him: he can play as a No. 9 or No. 11, and it’s great to have him in our team.
‘He’s improved a lot in recent weeks, he gives us a lot of positives, and of course, he can play as a No. 9.’