The Manchester United loanee, 28, has spent the 2025-26 season at the Catalan club and ended it with 14 goals and 14 assists in 49 appearances — numbers that have persuaded Flick he wants the England international in his squad for next season.
In a private conversation held in the final days of the campaign, the Barcelona head coach told Rashford directly that he was counting on him.
According to Marca, Flick's message was simple: "I am counting on you."
Rashford left satisfied. His own position is equally unambiguous — he wants to stay at Barcelona, and only at Barcelona. A return to Old Trafford holds no appeal. Nor does any other project, regardless of the financial terms on offer.
The path to that outcome, however, is not straightforward.
When Barcelona agreed the loan deal last summer, the two clubs included a €30 million purchase option. Barcelona are reluctant to trigger it at that figure. Their preferred solution is either a second loan for 2026-27 or a discounted permanent agreement — arrangements United are currently unwilling to accept.
United's position is firm. If Barcelona will not pay the agreed fee, they want Rashford back in their squad or sold elsewhere for a significant sum. Several clubs have already registered interest and United believe the upcoming World Cup will only increase Rashford's market value — his current Transfermarkt valuation sits at €40 million.
Rashford is aware the deal is complicated. But he is also aware that Flick has gone further than simply tolerating his presence — the coach has reportedly lobbied the Barcelona board to find a way to keep him, regardless of the financial mechanism involved.
To accelerate a resolution, Rashford has indicated he is willing to sign a five-year contract at a reduced salary — below what he was earning at United — to help Barcelona make the numbers work.
He feels settled in Catalonia, valued in the dressing room and appreciated by the supporters at the Spotify Camp Nou.
Whether that goodwill translates into a second season in blue and red depends entirely on whether two clubs with opposing commercial interests can find common ground before the summer window closes.