Marcus Rashford made a major impact during Barcelona's El Clasico clash with Real Madrid on Sunday, showing Ruben Amorim exactly what he's missing out on at Old Trafford after a season of unrest
Marcus Rashford celebrates with Fermin Lopez
Marcus Rashford assisted Fermin Lopez on Saturday(Image: Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Marcus Rashford's assist for Barcelona against Real Madrid on Sunday afternoon should be a clear message to the talent Ruben Amorim is missing out on at Manchester United.
The Reds academy graduate made his way to the Nou Camp on a season-long loan this summer, after falling out of favour at Old Trafford upon Amorim's arrival last November. Rashford found himself omitted from the Portuguese tactician's plans before spending the latter stages of last term on loan with Aston Villa.
And when he remained surplus to requirements upon his return from the Midlands, the 27-year-old was quick to push for another move away from United - either temporarily or permanently. His wish was granted when Barcelona snapped him up on a year-long loan, and to say that Rashford has thrived with the Catalan giants since would be an understatement.
The forward has already totted up five goals from 12 outings across all competitions, and registered his seventh assist of the season against Real Madrid in El Clasico on Sunday afternoon. A goal down at the time thanks to Kylian Mbappe's early strike, Alejandro Balde picked up the ball on the edge of Madrid's box 38 minutes in before penetrating the backline to find Rashford wheeling away.
From there, the Englishman unselfishly cut the ball back to Fermin Lopez, who cannoned it home past a floundering Thibaut Courtois. Barcelona's lead unfortunately didn't last too long, however, with Jude Bellingham finding the back of the net two minutes ahead of the interval.
Rashford's fine form this season should be a warning sign to Amorim that he may well have let one of United's finest talents slip through his fingers early into his tenure in the north west.
While Barcelona only have Rashford until season's end at present, the club also hold an option to buy him after his loan spell - thought to be for around £30million.
Marcus Rashford passes the ball
Marcus Rashford was in fine form during El Clasico
View 2 Images
It could be a steal for Barca, should they choose to exercise the clause, given that Rashford's market value will surely continue to rise should he continue to excel in La Liga and the Champions League.
Regardless, Manchester United have been doing well without one of their most talented academy products. The Reds are currently enjoying a three-game winning streak, courtesy of wins over Sunderland, Liverpool and most recently, Brighton.
United returned to Premier League action on Saturday evening to face the Seagulls on home soil, running out 4-2 winners as goals from Matheus Cunha and Casemiro, as well as a Bryan Mbeumo brace, cancelled out Danny Welbeck and Charalampos Kostoulas' strikes.
Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.