If you thought Marcus Rashford in an Aston Villa kit looked weird, the Manchester United star in a Barcelona kit may be even tougher to get used to.
Once considered a United core player through and through, Rashford takes the next step in his years-long search for a new permanent home. The 27-year-old has signed a one-year loan deal with Barcelona with an option to buy, reportedly at a price of about €35 million.
Rashford’s reception at Old Trafford was once that of a one-club player, but as his struggles mounted and relationships with coaches deteriorated, his time at United has all but ended. He enjoyed a successful loan spell at Villa through the second half of last season, and thus there is hope that a more long-term change of scenery would see him revitalized.
📞 “Yeah… It’s official.”
Rashford follows in Lineker’s footsteps. pic.twitter.com/ZvbnDAtbax— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 23, 2025
Yet this is a move that has not been without criticism. Rashford pushed strongly to join the Catalans, but questions remain over whether the deal suits the team as much as it does the player. Barca sporting director Deco is also under increasing pressure to show he is the right man for the job.
The Sporting News explains why Rashford has signed for Barcelona and how he will fit into the high-octane Hansi Flick style at Camp Nou.
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Why did Barcelona sign Marcus Rashford?
Given Barcelona’s financial situation, the arrival of Rashford makes an enormous amount of sense.
Barca have been in search of a left winger all offseason. Given Raphinha will be 29 in December and is coming off a Ballon d’Or-caliber season, while Robert Lewandowski is turning 37 in August, it’s a sensible move to make. With the pursuit of Athletic Club winger Nico Williams falling short, the Catalans had yet to fill the hole.
As has been reported for years, finances are always a concern when Barcelona dip in to the transfer market. The club has been woefully cash-strapped for some time now, and cheaper options are always preferable for the La Liga champions.
Thus, a move for Rashford is ideal. Not only is it a loan with a sensible option to buy at the end, but Rashford is also reportedly taking a 15% pay cut to facilitate the move, easing the need to match his high Man United wages. Barcelona have been linked to Rashford for a number of years, going as far back as 2019 by some reports.
From a United perspective, shedding Rashford’s high wages for a year is important for the business they hope to complete this summer.
Barcelona do not have a history of making loans permanent, given the expiration of one-year player deals such as Joao Cancelo, Joao Felix, Adama Traore, and Luuk de Jong in recent years. Yet for the coming season at least, this move appears to be sensible for all parties, and there is the chance of a more long-term relationship if things work out well.
Is Marcus Rashford a good signing for Barcelona?
From a tactical perspective, Rashford’s move to Barcelona looks like a shrewd one. The England international should fit well in Hansi Flick’s 4-2-3-1 system as a backup who should get significant minutes to ease the burden on their star forwards.
Given Rashford can play either as a left winger, a No. 10, or a central striker, there will be considerable minutes for him behind Barcelona’s front three of Raphinha, Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal. Those starting players were leaned on heavily last season, and Flick will be thrilled to have another player to add to the rotation.
Additionally, Rashford can play behind Lewandowski to help spell either Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres, or Fermin Lopez. There are options for Flick up front, and he will be happy to make use of them to spread around the minutes in his high-pressing, high work-rate setup.
Why are Barcelona fans turning on Deco?
A contingent of Barcelona fans have struggled to embrace the club’s sporting director, Deco, becoming frustrated with the club’s recent transfer history. Having joined the La Liga club in the summer of 2023, the former Barca midfielder has had a mixed record.
Much of the clubs’ success in recent years has come not on the back of highly successful transfers, but instead thanks to a generational crop of youth talent led by Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, Gavi, and Pedri, who signed from Las Palmas in 2019 for a nominal fee.
In truth, Deco has done fairly well given the circumstances under which he is obligated to work. His first signings of Vitor Roque and Oriol Romeu failed to pan out, but those were relatively low-cost additions. He also brought in Ilkay Gundogan, Joao Cancelo, and Inigo Martinez on free transfers or loans that same summer, and all three were successful to some degree, especially centre-back Martinez.
Last year’s capture of Dani Olmo looks positive as the former RB Leipzig man has been productive when healthy, while convincing Wojciech Szczesny to come out of retirement to replace an injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen was a masterstroke.
Deco has done well to work within the club’s financial restrictions, and the backlash he has faced is largely unwarranted, although given the turmoil behind the scenes that Barcelona has endured for years, it’s understandable that fans would be sensitive to front-office affairs.
