Once upon a time, Barcelona boasted the most feared front three in Europe when Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez were in their pomp.
The Spanish giants dominated domestically during the three year period that the deadly 'MSN' combination were at the peak of their powers with two LaLiga titles and even conquered Europe with a Champions League crown. But since the revered trio went their separate ways, Barcelona have struggled to construct a new attacking trifecta capable of emulating their past heroes.
It was back in 2019 that Barcelona were first forced to scope out plans to replace Suarez, then 32, as he was seemingly primed for a summer exit. And although replacing the former Liverpool talisman was always likely to be no mean feat, Nou Camp favourite Patrick Kluivert had identified a young forward who had all the attributes to do so: Marcus Rashford.
Speaking back in 2019, Kluivert, who was assessing potential candidates to replace Suarez, told Sport360: "I like Marcus Rashford, a lot. It will be really difficult to get him over. But he is a good player.
"I don't see a lot of players who can play in Barcelona. [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang, perhaps he can play. There is not a lot. Maybe some players who can play in LaLiga, young players. But, for me, I think the best one is Marcus Rashford."
Evidently, Barcelona ignored Kluivert's advice and did not consider a move for Rashford. And although Kluivert's claim may have been viewed in some quarters as a lofty one back then, it's probably safe to assume that Barcelona would relish having Rashford in their forward line this season in the wake of his remarkable form for Manchester United.
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The England international has been reinvigorated since the appointment of Erik ten Hag and has plundered 27 goals in all competitions for United this term.
With Rashford's current contract only running until the summer of 2024, the vultures are circling: Paris Saint-Germain have been long-term admirers of the 25-year-old, who is believed to be keen to stay at Old Trafford but is in no rush to pen fresh terms amid the ongoing takeover saga.
Intriguingly, current Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez is also a big fan of Rashford, who he labelled as "one of the most dangerous players in Europe" ahead of Barcelona's Europa League meeting with United earlier this season.
"In the transition he is very, very dangerous so, yes, we need to take care of all of them but especially Rashford," Xavi said before the tie, which Barcelona lost. "He's one of the most dangerous players now in Europe, yeah. He's very fast, he is very good at dribbling in one-versus-one."
It's not hard to imagine that Xavi would have shaped his current Barcelona team around Rashford's strengths had the Spanish giants heeded Kluivert's advice and pursued an ambitious deal for the Manchester United forward when they were scouring the market for Suarez' long-term replacement.
But it's Manchester United who have reaped the benefits for Barcelona's decision not to do so. And if they can thrash out fresh terms with Rashford over a new contract in the coming months, they'll continue to do so for years to come.
