Manchester United fans will undoubtedly be keeping an eye on Marcus Rashford’s loan spell at Spanish giants La Liga, with their homegrown star succeeding in Spain.
Quickly becoming a fan favourite at Old Trafford after making his debut almost ten years ago, Rashford has undoubtedly been one of the Red Devils’ best players following the Sir Alex Ferguson era, notching 138 goals in just 426 games in all competitions and cementing his name in history.
That quickly turned sour last season, though.
Some underwhelming form upon current boss Ruben Amorim’s appointment saw born-and-bred academy star Rashford dropped for the derby against local rivals Manchester City in mid-December of last year.
That turned out to be the beginning of the end for Marcus Rashford in terms of his future at United.
He didn’t feature again, instead joining Aston Villa on loan until the end of the season, and with Barcelona coming in for him in the summer, he didn’t think twice before moving there on a temporary basis.
Already excelling in Spain, he’s light-years away from the predicament he endured at Manchester United at the turn of the year, and Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Rashford is doing all he can to impress Barca chiefs for a permanent stay.
Marcus Rashford celebrates scoring for Barcelona vs Newcastle United in the Champions League
Photo by Dennis Agyeman / Europa Press via Getty Images
Fabrizio Romano says Man United hero Marcus Rashford is ‘training very well’ on loan at Barcelona
There is an option-to-buy clause in Rashford’s Barcelona contract, which has given the England international the incentive to secure a long-term deal.
Rashford was not invited to return to Carrington for pre-season, and United in Focus transfer expert Graeme Bailey believes that barring a minor miracle, Rashford will join Barcelona permanently in the summer.
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He’s already made an explosive start, including a brace back on English soil against Newcastle United in the Champions League, including a rocket from distance at St. James’ Park.
And, with another goal against Sevilla on Sunday evening, taking his tally to three goals and five assists in just 10 games, the Catalonian giants are seeing the hard work he’s putting in.
So much so, that Romano has claimed that Barcelona are feeling ‘internally positive’ with the 27-year-old’s behaviour at the club, praising his professionalism and training levels as he writes the next chapter in his career.
The journalist said on his YouTube channel: “I can tell you Rashford is very happy with the city, with the league, with the club, with the manager, with the teammates.
“Rashford loves his new life at Barcelona, he is fully focused on Barca. He’s not even thinking about a Manchester United return from the loan, and maybe making it back to United one day.
“I can also tell you that the feeling internally at Barca is very positive with the behaviour of Marcus Rashford.
“Not just the performances, the numbers are very good, but how he’s behaving. Very serious, professional, training very hard. They can see how he really wants to succeed at Barcelona.”
There is no doubting Rashford’s talent, and although he achieved great numbers and trophies at United, playing away from Old Trafford has certainly reinvigorated the best of his abilities.
Marcus Rashford playing for Barcelona in La Liga
Photo by David Ramirez/Soccrates/Getty Images
Rashford’s loan under Hansi Flick at Barcelona is vastly different from Ruben Amorim treatment
Cast yourself back to winter last year. Rashford’s stock hasn’t been this high since his purple patch under Erik ten Hag in the 2022/23 season, where United finished third in the Premier League and won the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United.
Frozen out by United boss Amorim, he was publicly vocal about the winger’s lack of ‘standards’, not adhering to how he saw fit.
That meant fewer minutes for the Wythenshawe-born talent, with his application seeing him left out of Amorim’s reckoning for six weeks. Speaking just days before his move to Aston Villa on loan, the United gaffer said: “Our team should be so much better with Rashford. But this Rashford, he has to change.
“If he changes, we are more than welcome to put a talent like Rashford [in the squad].
“And we need it. But in this moment, I think it’s really clear that we have to set some standards. We are waiting for Marcus, if he wants [to play] really, really bad.”
Having a manager such as Hansi Flick, who has given Rashford game time and a platform to prove himself, will get the best out of players of his ilk.
That is an area where Amorim may have made a huge error.