Breaking down Rashford’s Barcelona move: How it happened, what it means

Marcus Rashford is a Barcelona player. It might seem hard to believe for a player dumped from the Manchester United squad by coach Ruben Amorim in December, but the England forward will line up alongside Lamine Yamal and Raphinha for LaLiga’s defending champions next season after completing a seasonlong loan to Hansi Flick’s team.

Barcelona and United have completed a deal that could see Rashford complete a permanent transfer to Camp Nou for just €30 million if he impresses during the 2025-26 season.

At 27, Rashford should be in the prime of his career, and having signed a five-year contract at Old Trafford just two years ago, United would have expected the Manchester-born product of the club’s academy to spend his peak years in a red shirt, helping the Premier League’s fallen giants back to the top. But his United career has turned sour after a decline in his on-field performances and a series of off-field incidents, which angered both Amorim and his predecessor, Erik ten Hag, and also led to a breakdown in his relationship with the club’s supporters.

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Despite all of the negatives surrounding Rashford in recent seasons, he remains a player capable of performing in the biggest games. He has pace, goal threat and a burning determination to prove a point, and Barcelona believe adding the England forward is a gamble worth taking.

How has Rashford ended up with a dream move to one of the biggest clubs in the world after seeing his United career hit the rails? And what happens next? — Mark Ogden

How the deal happened

Let’s rewind to 2016 and Marcus Rashford bursting onto the scene as an 18-year-old at Manchester.

A two-goal Europa League debut as a substitute against FC Midtjylland, followed three days later by two goals on his Premier League debut in a 3-2 win against Arsenal, propelled Rashford to stardom and his rapid rise immediately caught the attention of Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. The Spanish club’s interest is long-standing and deep-rooted, but Rashford’s connections to Manchester and to United always made a transfer seem a nonstarter. He was United’s star player, and they acknowledged that with a series of contract renewals and pay rises.

But since signing his £325,000-a-week, five-year contract in July 2023, the wheels have fallen off for Rashford. His United form has nosedived, and he has fallen out with two managers, Ten Hag and Amorim.

When Amorim made it clear in December that Rashford had no future at the club, the player went public with his desire for a “new challenge,” and sources told ESPN that Barcelona was his desired destination. But while Barça’s long-term interest remained, the club’s financial difficulties hampered their attempts to make a loan move.

When Barça were unable to make it happen in January, Rashford agreed to join Aston Villa on loan for the remainder of the season, tallying four goals and six assists in 17 appearances. He remained determined to move to the Spanish club, however, and Barcelona sporting director Deco maintained contact with United and Rashford’s representatives.

Barcelona’s priority target this summer was Athletic Club’s Nico Williams, with efforts also made to sign Liverpool’s Luis Díaz. Williams seemed on course to move to Barça until a last-minute U-turn saw him sign a 10-year deal to stay in Bilbao, while Liverpool refused to discuss a move for Diaz. So Rashford came back into play for Barcelona, and negotiations with United moved swiftly last week.

Barcelona were prepared to pay Rashford’s wages in full — sources said the player has accepted a small drop in his basic United salary to unlock the move — and United agreed to sanction the transfer with a relatively low fee for Barcelona to make it a permanent deal next summer. Why? Because it draws a line under the long-running saga, and a €30 million fee would represent fair value for a 28-year-old with two years remaining on his contract.

If Rashford is a success, Barcelona will be getting a proven top-class player at a modest expense, but if it doesn’t work out, a year at Barcelona will help Rashford maintain his value and enable United to move him on next year. Ultimately, it seems a deal that suits all parties. — Ogden

What Barcelona are getting in Rashford

Deco told ESPN that Barcelona wanted a new winger in May. That might have seemed like a strange ask on the outside looking in, given the numbers posted by Lamine Yamal and Raphinha last season, but anyone who watched Barça under Hansi Flick could see the logic.

Deco cited a reliance on Yamal and Raphinha, with both clocking up over 4,500 minutes across all competitions last term. Moving forward, the club considers Ferran Torres to be more of a No. 9, meaning there was no direct backup for either of them. Instead, central players such as Fermín López, Dani Olmo or Pau Víctor were used as backups, along with assorted youngsters from the academy.

What Rashford’s arrival does immediately is provide Barça with much needed depth, especially on the left of attack. He could also help through the middle if Robert Lewandowski, who turns 37 in August, needs rest.

The move also improves Barça’s tactical flexibility. Last year, when everyone was fit and available, Flick preferred a front three of Yamal, Lewandowski and Raphinha from right to left, with Olmo just behind them.

While Yamal tended to stay wide, though, Raphinha drifted in. The Brazilian scored 18 times in LaLiga and registered 11 assists, but most of his best moments came from central positions. In fact, most of Barça’s best football came either from the right or through the middle. Of a total of 216 touches in goal-ending sequences in LaLiga, just 13% came on the left wing.

At his best, Rashford can increase that threat on the left. Bringing him into the team could see Raphinha play through the middle — perhaps instead of Olmo, who missed 15 games through injury in his first season back at Barça — or on the right to give Yamal a break as the teenager continues to grow and develop.

You can see why Williams or Díaz may have been an even better fit for that role, but Barça had to accept their financial reality. It would have been difficult to register a signing worth over €60 million — plus wages — so the fact Rashford could arrive on loan made it an attractive option. Even so, Barça still need to balance the books to register him with LaLiga — as well as new goalkeeper Joan García — but it will be much easier to do so than if they had spent big on one of the other options.

Club sources also highlight Rashford’s desire to take a pay cut to join. He arrives with no expectations of an immediate starting berth — Williams or Díaz could have rocked the boat in that sense — but with a point to prove after landing a move many feel isn’t merited after his performances in recent years.

Flick did an incredible job of improving most players at Barça last season, and sources add he believes he can do the same with Rashford. He was key in pushing the deal through in time for the club’s preseason tour of Asia this week, giving himself plenty of time to get started on Project Restore Rashford. — Sam Marsden

What Rashford is getting in Barcelona

Most players earn a move to Barcelona by outgrowing their current team with performances that catch the eye of one of the biggest clubs in the world, but Rashford has landed his move to Spain because of his past rather than his present. His reputation as one of the best forwards in Europe has prompted Barcelona to sign him. But it is a fading reputation, which gives context to why Rashford was Barça’s third-choice signing and why United are happy to let him go.

The challenge for Rashford is to turn back the clock, and show he can still effect the biggest games and deliver in the Champions League. He has done it before, and Barcelona’s gamble is that he can do it again.

There were glimpses of Rashford’s best during his loan spell at Aston Villa. His most eye-catching performance was in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg against PSG. He showcased all of the best elements of his game — pace, direct running at defenders and a willingness to shoot at every opportunity.

The flip side with Rashford is his defensive work rate, which can be borne out by half-hearted pressing or tracking back. When it’s going well for Rashford, he can be unstoppable, but when he looks disinterested, it can lead to criticism from supporters and coaches.

England coach Thomas Tuchel is an admirer, however. He twice tried to sign Rashford while coaching Chelsea and PSG, and has since restored him to the England team. With a World Cup on the horizon next summer, a successful season in Barcelona will help Rashford seal a place in the squad.

Rashford has clearly needed a new challenge for a long time. He has rarely looked happy in a United shirt for at least two years; Barcelona is his dream move, and it is likely to inspire and energize him. Playing alongside the likes of Yamal, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski will be a significant upgrade over his teammates at United, and even though he faces a challenge to earn a starting spot, Rashford is good enough to make an impact.

Barcelona is his big chance — one his recent form has not merited, but a chance nonetheless, and one he really can’t afford to waste. — Ogden