Top News

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has expressed his frustration as Barcelona's financial issues have stood in the way of the club registering Marcus Rashford for the new season. Rashford joined on loan from Manchester United in the summer, but Barca are required to comply with La Liga rules on wage budgets before he is able to feature in the competition.

Rashford isn't the only player in the situation, which relates to strict financial rules which all La Liga clubs need to abide by. New goalkeeper Joan Garcia needs to be registered, while the same applies to fellow stopper Wojciech Szczesny after the Polish international signed new terms withh the club.

Barca can cover some of the required budget through captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen's medical leave agreement, which frees up 80 percent of the German's wages for new registrations during his period out injured. They used a similar arrangement last summer to register Dani Olmo after Andreas Christensen was ruled out for a lengthy period, and announced plans to formally register Garcia in the light of Ter Stegen's situation.

Even so, Flick has been left in a less than ideal situation ahead of Saturday's opener against Mallorca. “For me, the situation, you can imagine I’m not happy about that. But I know the situation and I believe in the club,” the boss told reporters on Friday.

“We have to wait till tomorrow. It was the same situation last season. We will focus on what we can change and what is in our hands. The other things, I believe in the club.”

READ MORE: Transfer news LIVE: Man Utd confirm loan, Liverpool make Isak plan clear, Eze to Arsenal deadline

READ MORE: Man Utd 'hurt' Barcelona after completing transfer for their top target

Ter Stegen's decision came after an initial refusal from the Germany international, which saw him briefly stripped of the captaincy but things now appear to be more rosier between player and club. “I think the most important thing is that everyone speaks together. Marc and the club, they spoke,” Flick added,

“The most important thing for me, for Marc and the club is that he comes back. He’s shown for many years here that he’s a fantastic goalkeeper and the important thing is that he comes back and is ready to play. We’ll all help him, we’re all on his side.”

Rashford and Garcia have both played in pre-season despite the uncertainty over the league opener. Both started the Joan Gamper Trophy, Barca's final warm-up game ahead of the new season, with Rashford setting up a goal for Raphinha in a 5-0 victory over Como.

The England international has been learning Spanish to help converse with his new team-mates, some of whom also speak Catalan, while those with a good command of English have also helped him settle in quickly. “There are good people who are like a bridge. Frenkie [de Jong] speaks really good English, Jules [Kounde] speaks very good English, but they also have good Spanish because they’ve been here a few years," Rashford said on The Rest is Football podcast.

“But on the pitch, honestly it’s easier than what I thought it would be. Also football overall, I know a lot of people say it, but it’s a language in itself and it’s easy to communicate through the general vibe on the pitch.”

Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.