Reports claiming Barcelona were considering cutting short Marcus Rashford’s loan spell have been dismissed this evening.

Speculation over Rashford’s future

Over the weekend, Spanish outlets suggested that Barça’s sporting director Deco and the club hierarchy had grown frustrated with Rashford’s slow start in La Liga.

The rumours claimed they were exploring the option of sending the Manchester United forward back to Old Trafford before the season’s end.

Rashford, who joined the Spanish champions in the summer window, has yet to make a major impact in his early outings, sparking talk that his stay at Camp Nou could be prematurely terminated.

Guillem Balague provides clarification

However, respected Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague has firmly denied those reports. Speaking on Sunday evening, Balague explained:

“Absolutely rubbish that Barcelona is planning to end early Marcus Rashford’s loan deal. Barça told his representative that they have a lot of confidence in Rashford’s potential and that they believe he will recover as a top player.”

Barcelona’s stance on Marcus Rashford

The Catalan giants are said to remain confident that the England international can rediscover his form under Hansi Flick.

Despite a slow start, Barça believe Rashford has the quality to contribute significantly across the season and are prepared to remain patient.

With the backing of the club and faith from the coaching staff, Rashford will now look to settle in Spain and justify Barcelona’s decision to bring him in as part of their attacking rebuild.