With just two months left for Barcelona to decide whether to sign Marcus Rashford permanently or send him back to Manchester United, the Spanish media have delivered a strong verdict on his performance during their Champions League exit on Tuesday night. Despite a 2-1 win in the second leg against Atletico Madrid, it wasn’t enough to overturn the 2-0 deficit from the first leg.
Both results meant Atletico progressed 3-2 on aggregate, reaching their first Champions League semi-final since 2017. Rashford was introduced as a second-half substitute as Barcelona searched for a decisive goal, having earlier led 2-0 on the night after Lamine Yamal opened the scoring and Ferran Torres added a second inside 24 minutes.
Earlier in the campaign, the 28-year-old had built something of a reputation for making an impact off the bench late on, with his energetic displays from the flank helping him force his way into Thomas Tuchel’s England squad as he targeted World Cup involvement. But much has changed since those promising early signs.
rashford barcelona
After the game, the Spanish media heavily criticised the England forward's display, with SPORT labelling him "inoperative" and raising doubts about his "character" in key moments - the very thing he was expected to bring to Catalonia last summer. They wrote:
"When Rashford came on, he didn't contribute anything special. He lacks the character to be decisive in crucial moments."
Mundo Deportivo shared a similar view, claiming he "failed to improve Barcelona in the final third," while Football Espana noted that he "looked off the pace," giving him a modest 5.5/10 score - lower than many of his team-mates.
AS were even more critical, not only condemning Rashford's underwhelming performance but also casting doubt over his future at the club. "As usual, lots of fuss and nothing," they wrote after the match. "He can't continue next year."
Rashford's Future Remains Unclear
Barcelona's Marcus Rashford during the warm up
The verdict from this week leaves Rashford’s future no clearer than it has been at any point this season. With some Spanish outlets calling for him to be let go, his return of 12 goals and 13 assists in 43 matches would suggest he still offers plenty - though it must be said that the quality of his teammates could be flattering those numbers to some extent.
FC Barcelona's Marcus Rashford holds a football Related
Update Reveals How Marcus Rashford Feels About Returning to Man Utd
Marcus Rashford's stance on potentially returning to Manchester United has been revealed by Fabrizio Romano.
His main issue, which initially led to his loan move, has been his consistency and attitude, with spells of strong form followed by quieter periods, which in turn appears to have dented his confidence when chances arise that a younger version of himself might have taken in stride. Given Barcelona’s crippling debt, it now seems highly unlikely they will pay the £30 million required to make his deal permanent.
But whether he fits back into Man United’s plans is another question entirely. His numbers suggest he could, but the presence of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and a recently in-form Benjamin Sesko would suggest otherwise.