Marcus Rashford has secured a loan move to FC Barcelona. The 27-year-old English forward is heading out on loan for the second time in a row, having spent the second half of last season at Aston Villa. He underwent his medical tests in Barcelona earlier this week.
Rashford’s relationship with manager Ruben Amorim remains strained, making it increasingly hard to imagine him playing for Manchester United again.
While his contract runs until June 2028, it now seems unlikely he will see it through.
Will Marcus Rashford Fit In Barcelona’s XI?
Rashford did a good job during his loan spell at Aston Villa, scoring four goals and registering four assists in 17 matches for them. He continues to be a quality player on the left flank, and United’s loss will certainly be Barcelona’s gain.
However, the Catalans, who won the La Liga title in the 2024/25 season, have a very strong starting XI at their disposal.
Raphinha, Barcelona’s Brazilian winger who starts on the left for the team usually, is one of the contenders for the Ballon d’Or this year.
Not to mention that Hansi Flick’s team has Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal as the other two forwards in their set-up.
That means that Rashford is likley to start on the bench for them at the beginning of next season.
Unless the Englishman comes up with a string of good performances when given a chance, it should be really difficult for him to feature in the starting XI.
Rashford’s pace should be an added advantage to Barca, who should look to utilise it from brisk counter-attacks to breach the opposition defence.
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A Pay Cut
Rashford is at a hefty £325,000 per week salary at United. However, at Barcelona, he will have to take a pay cut. According to the reports, he will have to undergo at least a 15% cut at Barcelona.
There is also a clause in his loan contract with the Catalans, reportedly, that suggests that the club can make the transfer permanent with a transfer fee of around €30 million.
Barcelona have been tracking Nico Williams of Atletico Madrid and Luis Diaz of Liverpool as options to have on the left flank. However, they have reportedly been able to get Rashford at a cheaper wage instead.
If one considers the bigger picture, it is by no means ideal for Rashford to leave his boyhood club and play abroad, especially when the club is now going through horrid times.
However, playing for Barcelona will grant him the opportunity to play in UEFA Champions League and also put him in a better position to win trophies.
However, he could have been the main man at Manchester United and might have to be satisfied being a fringe player at Manchester United.
This is a change that he will have to accept at this stage of his career. As he approaches 28, he will have to concede that he does not have too many years left in top-flight football.
Therefore, it is certainly better to sit on Barcelona’s bench and get some game time in the course of the season than to be treated as a discard at Manchester United.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / PA Images
Recording Date: 27.11.2024