Marcus Rashford has singled out Barcelona team-mate Pedri as an exceptional talent as he continues with his loan stint from Manchester United to the Catalan giants. The England forward secured a season-long temporary switch to Barcelona during the summer transfer window and has adapted seamlessly to life at the Camp Nou.
The 27-year-old has netted five goals with a further six assists across 12 outings in Barcelona colours so far this campaign. Two of those strikes came during the club’s emphatic 6-1 Champions League triumph over Olympiacos on Tuesday evening.
Pedri wore the captain’s armband for that match, with Rashford now hailing the midfielder’s talent. He has picked out Pedri as a standout in the squad, and highlighted the benefit of playing alongside him.
“Lots of players have lots of qualities, but probably the standouts are Lamine Yamal. And, for me, Pedri is unbelievable,” he told ESPN.
“I knew he was good before I played with him. But to play with him every day is unbelievable.
“Relationships on the pitch, the ones I am still learning, are very important. When it comes to the matchday, these are things which make small differences.
“They have such high quality. It’s the perfect scenario to play with players like this.”
Rashford and his colleagues are gearing up for the season’s first El Clasico as they face Real Madrid away on Sunday afternoon. Prior to that fixture, the United loanee has clarified his position regarding his future prospect – expressing his desire to remain in Spain permanently.
When questioned about extending his stay at Barcelona beyond the current loan arrangement, Rashford declared: “Oh yeah, 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 is an honour.”
Barcelona hold the option to make the arrangement permanent for a fee of around £26million. Reports in Spain, via The Sun, claim that the club are ready to trigger that option.
Nevertheless, Barca may also look at trying to negotiate a lower price with United, given their financial difficulties. It’s also added that Rashford may be forced to take a wage cut if a move becomes permanent.
