Having come through the Manchester United academy to establish himself as one of the brightest talents in England, Marcus Rashford's career had begun to stagnate at Old Trafford. As such, he spent the second half of 2024/525 on loan at Aston Villa.
Scoring four times and picking up six assists in 17 games for the Villans, the winger showed signs of life, but Man Utd manager Ruben Amorim still couldn't find a place for him in his plans. As such, in July, Rashford headed to Barcelona on a loan until the end of the season.
It's now been about seven months since he left England for Spain, which is more than enough time for the local media to provide a fair opinion on his performances. Here's what the press have been saying.
Rashford's Recent Dip in Form Blasted by Spanish Press
FC Barcelona's Marcus Rashford holds a football
While Rashford's debut season at Barca has been largely positive, it will perhaps be of concern to the club that his output has dropped off in recent weeks. In total, he has scored 10 goals and bagged 13 assists, making for a respectable 23 goal contributions in 37 games.
That said, he's now failed to score or assist in any of his last four outings across all competitions. His last league goal came at the end of January, while he hasn't picked up an assist in La Liga so far in 2026.
As Barcelona struggled to a 1-0 away win against Athletic Club in their last match, Rashford was hooked after 62 minutes, with the score still 0-0. In reaction to his performance, the local media were far from impressed. Sport wrote:
"The Briton was quite lacklustre, never once getting past his marker, losing possession frequently, and looking uncomfortable. A missed opportunity in a match where he was completely unremarkable."
Diario AS weren't any kinder as they described his performance as "disastrous", while adding that he was "maintaining his mediocre form of recent weeks". In their player ratings, they went even further, noting:
"Poor. The English forward continues to show many weaknesses. So many, in fact, that many fans are questioning whether paying 30 million for him this summer would be worthwhile. He failed to make the most of either his pace or his finishing, delivering a performance that was as flat as it was frustrating."
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Rashford Not Thinking About Man Utd Return With Barca Future Still Undecided
Barcelona's Marcus Rashford look on mid-game
It's certainly worrying for the Englishman that after a positive start to life in Spain, now seven months into his Barcelona career, his recent form has started to draw notable criticism from the local press. At the very least, there is still time for him to finish the season strong, especially with Barca in the Champions League knockout stages and leading La Liga.
GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Fabrizio Romano revealed in February that Rashford is not thinking about a return to Man Utd, and at this moment in time, he's just concentrating on his loan at Barcelona.
If the Spanish giants do want to get a deal across the line, it will cost them €30m (£26m) to land Rashford in the summer of 2026. With his form running a little cold, though, it remains unclear if they will commit to the 28-year-old. His notable £233,385 weekly wages will also have to be a consideration.