Barcelona have begun preparations for the end of Marcus Rashford’s season-long spell at the club, as Manchester United must be ready.
Marcus Rashford will spend the 2025/26 season on loan at Barcelona after a successful six-month loan spell at Aston Villa last season. The MBE has already scored five goals and registered five assists in just 13 appearances for Hansi Flick’s side.
Despite starting Rúben Amorim’s first match in charge of Manchester United as a centre forward, Rashford was excluded from the Red Devils squad before his loan move to Birmingham, and his future was already deemed to be away from Old Trafford before this summer.
While he was named in the “Bomb Squad” in the summer – alongside Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Tyrell Malacia, and Jadon Sancho – Rashford could still return to United next season, as his buy-option is not mandatory at Barcelona.
The England international was spotted watching a United match just hours before the El Clásico, in which he faced off against fellow Carrington graduate Alvaro Carreas. The next months will be crucial in Rashford’s future as both a Barcelona and a United player.
Barcelona open talks with United
Rashford’s current contract at Barcelona is a loan with an option to buy, and Barcelona are currently considering whether to make the deal permanent or not. Sport – relayed by The Mirror – have reported that they are leaning towards completing the deal at present.
The buy option in Rashford’s contract is suspected to be close to £28 million, a rather cheap fee for the form he has started the season in. However, his high wages are believed to be a potential stumbling block in the deal.
One option for Barcelona is to offer Rashford a long-term contract on reduced wages, but the 28-year-old may not accept this type of deal.
Rashford’s representatives are reportedly “willing” to make an agreement until the summer of 2030, while the player appears to be very keen on staying at the club.
Rashford will be a big miss for United
While he hasn’t played for the club for almost 18 months, Rashford represents the type of character that makes United the club it is. The Red Devils are built on academy graduates, and Rashford was one of the best in recent times.
At times, he was frustrating and difficult to watch, but so was almost every great winger to play at Old Trafford in the last 30 years. The abuse he received was simply unacceptable, and it forced him out of the club.
In the future, academy graduates like Rashford need to be praised and pushed to the next level, rather than abused and put down due to a lack of confidence.
United are built on players like Rashford, and it will be a sad day when he officially leaves the club, even after some temporary time away.
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