Marcus Rashford completes stunning Barcelona loan transfer as he finally seals Man Utd exit
MARCUS RASHFORD has officially joined Barcelona on a season-long loan from boyhood club Manchester United.
The 27-year-old winger’s Old Trafford future was deemed practically over when the club handed his No10 shirt to new signing Matheus Cunha.
Rashford has been looking for a new home after falling out with Ruben Amorim a month after the manager arrived from Sporting Lisbon.
And the England star has finally secured his dream move to Barcelona, who now have an option to BUY the Red Devils academy graduate come the end of next season for £26million.
He was announced at quarter to six today with a video of him answering a telephone call in a red telephone box – a staple of the United Kingdom.
In the 20-second clip he says: “Yeah. You can tell them now. It’s official,” before he puts the phone down and steps outside wearing a Barca polo shirt.
He then says: “Let’s do this,” and puts on a hat before adding: “Visca el Barca!” Which translates to “Long live Barca.”
Speaking on the club’s official YouTube channel while wearing a sharp suit, Rashford lifted the lid on his move to the Spanish giants.
He said: “I’m very excited. It’s a club where people’s dreams come true, they win big prizes and what the club stands for means a lot to me as well so it feels like I’m at home and this is a big factor in my choice to come here because it’s a family club and you know people are comfortable here and it’s a good place for good players to showcase their skills.”
On his style of play he added: “I always try to make decisive actions and fast, dynamic plays and I’ve always been a fan of watching Barca play from my young days.
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“It’s going to be a joy for me to play here and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it… I’m full of excitement and hunger to go out and try and help this team win.
“I can see the ambition of the club is to do better than last year and for a player that’s what you want to hear because it keeps you improving year on year and that’s what you need to be the best version of yourself.”
On new boss Hansi Flick, he said: “[He was] Another key factor of the reason I’m here. The conversations I had with him were very positive and what he did last season was terrific.
“But in his career he’s proved he’s one of the top coaches. To lead such a young team to a very successful season and to come back in pre-season and do more, it show’s me everything I thought about the club.
“Like I said, I’m eager to get going and keep learning the Barcelona way and be ready for the games.”
Addressing Barca fans directly, he thanked them for a warm welcome and reiterated how it feels like home.
Man Utd released a statement on the move shortly after, wishing him the best of luck for the upcoming season.
The move will be Rashford’s second consecutive loan spell after a six-month stint with Aston Villa in the second half of last season.
Barcelona are understood to be paying 100 per cent of Rashford’s whopping £325,000-a-week wages – which he’s unlikely to get should he permanently move to the Nou Camp in 2026.
Taking Rashford on an initial temporary basis helps Barca as they continue to navigate a difficult financial situation, with the player also eager to secure a place in the England squad for the 2026 World Cup.
The deal does not allow United to recall the forward and a permanent switch will see Rashford end his 20-year association with United.
The Red Devils will save £15MILLION in wages over the next year, which could provide Amorim with vital funds to overhaul his squad.
Rashford has not featured for United since the Europa League clash against Viktoria Plzen on December 12, having first been left out of the squad for the Premier League win over Manchester City on December 15.
United have never publicly closed the door to Rashford being reintegrated, although it’s believed he can never play under Amorim again.
The local lad joined United at the age of seven and has scored 138 goals in 426 appearances since his breakthrough debut in 2015.
Joining Barcelona has been Rashford’s No1 option since he declared in December that he was ready for a new challenge after being iced out by Amorim.
He will be the first England international to wear Barcelona colours since Gary Lineker, who played there between for three years between 1986 and 1989.
Rashford will also wear the historic No14 shirt at the Camp Nou outfit, previously worn by legends such as Johan Cruyff and Thierry Henry.
Current Bristol City midfielder Marcus McGuane joined Barca’s B Team in 2018, making one first-team friendly appearance after coming off from the bench with 13 minutes remaining in 2018.
Asked by a Spanish influencer if he would like to play alongside Lamine Yamal a few months back, Rashford said: “Yes, for sure. Everyone wants to play with the best. Hopefully… we’ll see.”
SunSport exclusively revealed that he arrived in sunny Spain on Sunday night after a nightmare private plane journey was derailed by none other than Manchester City supporting rock band Oasis.
The forward completed a medical with the LaLiga champions on Monday, with the aim of being able to join their pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea on Thursday.
A debut could even come as soon as Sunday morning against Vissel Kobe.
It is thought Liverpool forward Luis Diaz was a priority target for Barca, but the Catalans’ advances were rejected earlier in the window.
I find the whole episode very soul-destroying
Sheringham
Hansi Flick’s side also agreed personal terms with Nico Williams before the Spain international opted instead to stay at Athletic Club and sign a new contract until 2035.
Rashford will still have two years left on his United deal when this proposed loan move ends. Villa turned down their £40m option to buy.
But his career at Old Trafford has appeared to be over since Amorim claimed he would rather put his 63-year-old goalkeeper coach on the bench than the forward because of what he considers a lack of effort.
He enjoyed his short-term loan at Villa, scoring four goals in 17 appearances for Unai Emery’s side and often pipping United target Ollie Watkins to the starting line-up.
It saw him get recalled to the England squad for Thomas Tuchel’s first two games, but he missed out on a second call-up after his season was curtailed by a hamstring injury picked up in April.
But after a summer of intense training in Marbella, Rashford – who has been training alone at Carrington away from the first-team squad – has now fully recovered and is ready for action.
But ex-United star Teddy Sheringham weighed in on the “soul-destroying” Rashford debate before his second loan deal was confirmed.
Sheringham told Sky Bet: “I find the whole episode very soul-destroying, compared to the way I was back in the day and how I strove to get the privilege to play for such a huge football club.
“From my perspective, if you go from Manchester United to Barcelona, that’s a step that he hasn’t deserved.”
With one of the five “Bomb Squad” players sorted, Amorim is still trying to shift Jadon Sancho, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho and Tyrell Malacia.
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