Marcus Rashford leaving Man United before August is a positive result for a club with four wingers to jettison over the next six weeks.
Samuel joined the Manchester Evening News in 2014 and is the Chief Manchester United writer. He has broken exclusives on Jose Mourinho’s appointment, the re-signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking, the club’s interest in Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag, as well as numerous other transfers and team news. He has represented the MEN on the BBC, Sky News, Sky Sports News, TalkSport, Radio 5 Live, CNN and various other media outlets worldwide.
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Rashford: going back to Barcelona
Back in January, the word from Barcelona was that the club’s sporting director, Deco, was “not that fussed” about Marcus Rashford.
Rashford ended up playing in a different shade of claret and blue at Aston Villa, underwhelmed and has now ended up at Barcelona.
It is a move that does not make much sense yet also makes sense. Barcelona have a deluxe back-up to a front three of Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski. Manchester United have found a club prepared to cover Rashford’s £325,000-a-week salary. It was always going to be a loan with an option to buy.
Barca have admired Rashford for several years yet are signing him at one of his lowest ebbs. Villa declined the chance to buy him for £40million, Rashford had his squad number revoked and was ordered to report at United’s Carrington training complex after the first team had left this month.
An agency source said Rashford has “done extremely well” to get Barcelona. The Spanish agent, Arturo Canales, helped broker Rashford’s loan to Villa in February and was re-hired to specifically secure a move to Barcelona.
United have done extremely well to get Rashford off the books before August. Liverpool merit a mention. They resisted selling Luis Diaz to Barca after their prime target, Inaki Williams, signed a new contract with Athletic Bilbao. Rashford is Barca’s plan C and, on paper, a substitute for La Liga’s champions. He has broken double figures in only one of the past four seasons for United.
High-ranking figures at United expected him to move abroad. Rashford mischievously refused to discount crossing the divide to Manchester City or heading down the East Lancs Road to Liverpool. There was no concrete evidence either of United’s rivals were interested in him.
It is in United’s interests that Rashford performs in Spain. It would make him more sellable next year, when he will have entered the final two years of his United contract. While Ruben Amorim is in situ, there is no chance of United reintegrating Rashford back into their first team squad.
Rashford has put in the hours over the summer. His Instagram account, almost certainly run by his brother and former agent, Dwaine, has charted a rigorous training schedule of gym-work and ball-work. Rashford spent four hours in a Salford gym last Monday.
Hangers-on weighed Rashford down in recent years but his entourage on holiday in Cannes were on the grass with him. He was joined by brothers Dwaine, Dane, cousin Lois and former United academy teammate Roshaun Williams.
Rashford shone at Camp Nou in United’s engrossing 2-2 Europa League knockout draw in February 2023, scoring their equaliser and single-handedly forcing Jules Kounde’s own goal. He was at his zenith that season, with the caveat that Rashford’s form came with his camp in the midst of contract negotiations.
Have a glance at Rashford’s goals tallies over the past four seasons: five, 30, eight and seven. You can pinpoint the one that preceded a lucrative salary hike.
Despite that 30-goal season, privately he bristled at some of Erik ten Hag’s methods and how dogmatic the Dutchman could be. Their working relationship disintegrated during Ten Hag’s final year at United.
Rashford was irritated to start the 2023-24 season up front while Rasmus Hojlund recovered from a stress fracture of the back. At Villa, Unai Emery regularly played Rashford through the middle. Lewandowski, 37, is not showing many signs of slowing down but he is out of contract at Barcelona next year.
After Amorim discounted Rashford from selection, the player exercised some moderate PR, attending a game in his hospitality box at Old Trafford. There was polite applause from the Stretford End on his final squad appearance when he warmed up against Newcastle in December.
Figures at United are continuing to tread on eggshells with Rashford, still keen to highlight his legacy as one of their most striking academy graduates. Rashford has long since abandoned diplomacy, thanking Alejandro Garnacho for his puerile post in a Villa ‘Rashford 9’ shirt last month.
One down, three to go for United. Jadon Sancho, Antony and Garnacho will, by hook or by crook, be gone by 7pm on September 1. United will then have a leaner, fresher and more harmonious forward line. One that has to be sharpened by a new striker.
They need to be fussed about that.