Barcelona sporting director Deco has claimed that Marcus Rashford struggled with the "responsibility of becoming an important player" for Manchester United "too young".
Rashford had a glorious 2022-23 campaign at Man United, scoring 30 times in all competitions, but he then only managed eight goals in 2023-24, while he struck seven goals in the first half of the 2024-25 season before leaving on loan for Aston Villa.
The 28-year-old joined Barcelona on loan last summer, and he has managed six goals and nine assists in 18 appearances for the Catalan outfit this term.
Barcelona have the chance to sign the Englishman on a permanent basis for a fee in the region of £26m next summer, and that option is expected to be taken up.
Deco has offered his opinion on why Rashford found it tough at Man United, and he said that Barcelona are "happy" to have the forward.
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Deco delivers verdict on Rashford's Man United struggles
“He’s happy with us. Marcus is a fantastic player. He faced the responsibility of becoming an important player at Man United — United, like us, are one of the biggest clubs in the world — too young," Deco told reporters.
"He suffered a bit with this change of generation at United too. If you see United in the last five years, they had difficulties rebuilding the team, to become stronger again. He was there. So it’s not easy for a player [from whom] people demand a lot. When you are an important player, you have a lot of responsibility.
“We were looking for a player like him on the market. A player that could play in the three positions up front. We were able to sign Marcus on loan now because of his desire to play for Barcelona.
"He waited a lot. He knew that we were dealing with financial rules. But he was patient. He waited and we’re happy to have him.”
How has Rashford performed for Barcelona this season?
There were question marks over Rashford's suitability for Barcelona when he arrived on loan, but it would be fair to say that his time with the Catalan side has thus far been successful.
The forward has managed two goals and seven assists in 13 La Liga appearances, while he has struck four goals and registered two assists in five Champions League outings.
Barcelona do lack left-sided attackers, so Rashford's arrival was incredibly important, and it would be a huge surprise if he did not complete a permanent move to the Catalan side in 2026.