Deco confirms stance on Marcus Rashford future and reveals Barcelona’s January transfer plans

Barcelona’s Director of Football Deco has given an update on the future of several star players, including Marcus Rashford. The Blaugrana reportedly have a buy option of €30m on Rashford, who is currently on loan from Manchester United.

Rashford has started the season well at Barcelona, and remains top of the list in terms of goal contributions, with six goals and nine assists in 19 appearances, averaging a direct involvement every 83 minutes. However the comparison with Raphinha, his competition for the left wing spot, is an unfortunate one for the England international.

Deco confirms Barcelona have not made call on Rashford

Speaking in an interview with SER Catalunya, Deco staved off questions about whether they would seek to do a deal with Manchester United. Recent reports claim that the Catalan giants are edging towards allowing Rashford to leave.

“Nothing has been decided with Marcus Rashford. It’s not the time to make decisions about the future. We’re happy with him, Rashford is giving us a lot. Strategically, it’s not the time to talk about signings.”

‘Ter Stegen will compete for game time’ – Deco

Meanwhile there has also been plenty of speculation about the future of captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann has made it clear he must play in order to head to the World Cup next year, and a loan move has been mooted until the end of the season.

“Ter Stegen can be the third, first or second goalkeeper. When we signed Joan Garcia we knew he had a present and a future. Everything was rushed because of Marc’s injury. Nobody has a contract that he will play, at that point we’re talking about the coach’s decision.”

“First we have to understand the context, I don’t like to think about the future. When he is available to play he will look for options to play.”

‘I still think Lewandowski has a lot to give us’

Another veteran name with an uncertain future is Robert Lewandowski. The 37-year-old is out of contract in the summer, and common sentiment is that Barcelona will try to move on from him.

“At the moment, the number 9 is Robert Lewandowski. It is normal to speculate about signings, but this is not the time. We cannot and should not think about that. First we have to win this year. We should not talk to players who are under contract at other clubs. I always say that we should not obsess over the number 9,” Deco said pointedly.

Marc Casadó: "I don't know what's wrong with Olmo's shoulder, but he's had a great game. The team today has shown that if we give it our all out on the pitch we can put in performances like today's."

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) December 2, 2025

“Robert is a player who has given us a lot and I think he still has a lot to give us. We have not spoken to him yet about his renewal.”

‘There won’t be any signings or exits in January’

He would go on to confirm there would be no incomings or outgoings for Barcelona in the January transfer market.

“Exits? There won’t be any, not even ter Stegen. First of all, he has to recover,” Deco declared.

“When we thought about the squad, we had the renewals clear. Not just for this season, but to find stability for the future. Nowadays we have suffered a lot with injuries, that conditions you. It is very difficult for a signing in the winter market to work well, it is difficult to find good players.”

“In a club with the demands of Barca, you cannot make plans in May. The seasons condition you. You have to have a clear idea of ​​what you are looking for. We have tried to build a team with the idea that we are looking for in the future. I need to be on top of things on a day-to-day basis to understand what is happening in the team. How can I sit down with an agent if I don’t know what is happening on a day-to-day basis? The role of a sporting director is much more than the transfer market.”

Ter Stegen has recently returned to training, amid reports that he is coming around to the idea of leaving the club for more minutes. The 32-year-old is expected to be fit to play in 2026, but most believe that Joan Garcia will continue as number one.

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