Sorry, Marcus! Deco explains why Barcelona ditched Man Utd star Rashford to complete £59m Anthony Gordon transfer

Speaking to RAC1, Deco shed light on the difficult decision to let Rashford return to England. “We are extremely grateful to Rashford,” the sporting director stated. “He contributed a lot last season, but our idea of play is much more linked to Anthony. His style fits with what the coach is looking for.”

The former Portugal international elaborated on the reasoning behind pursuing Gordon, pointing to a lack of spark in the squad during previous campaigns. “We see every training session and analyse the team,” Deco added. “We have a clear idea what we’re looking for. One of the areas we struggled last season, without Raphinha, was that the team’s energy dropped. It was lost.

“We needed more intensity. We analysed a lot of wingers. Signing someone from the Premier League is almost impossible, but [Flick] was clear with what he wanted and we worked on a deal from there.”