Rashford arrived in Barcelona determined to make his mark and launch a positive new chapter in an up-and-down career.
The club have the option of signing him on a permanent basis for £30.3m (35m euros) in 2026, but that is something that Deco told Spanish media would only be discussed at a later date.
“It’s too early to talk about decisions for next season but what matters is that we’re happy with him,” the director of football said.
This was reiterated by another source at the club, who said: “We’re all delighted and thrilled with him and his performance, Deco, Flick, and his team-mates. Marcus is also happy with us, with his team-mates and with the city of Barcelona.
“It’s obvious that if he continues to develop like this, there’s a very good chance that this will be the case. But we’re only at the beginning of the season and it’s still too early to talk about this.”
Barcelona have big fixtures to come before the next round of international matches, including a derby against Girona, Champions League games against Olympiacos and Club Brugge, and the Clasico against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
Off the back of successive defeats by Paris St-Germain and Sevilla, and with Raphinha returning from injury, Spanish media suggest Flick will be making some tactical changes.
For Rashford, it presents an opportunity to adapt and demonstrate his versatility as his quest continues for a consistent starting role.
He wanted this move in January, had to wait until the summer, and before he had kicked a ball was quick to say Barcelona “feels like home”. The onus is now on him to make sure it remains that way.
Additional data collection and visualisations by Jordan Butler