Marcus Rashford has completed a season long loan move to Barcelona from Manchester United, with the deal looking likely to end his Old Trafford career.
While Barcelona have initially completed a loan move for Rashford, who had spoken openly about his desire to join the club, the Spanish giants have an option to make the move permanent next summer.
Rashford was seen inside an iconic red telephone box picking up the phone during an unveiling video, with the forward saying: ‘Yeah, you can tell them now, its official.’
After leaving the telephone box, Rashford said ‘Let’s do this, visca el Barca.’
Barcelona confirmed broad details of the agreement on their website.
‘FC Barcelona and Manchester United have reached an agreement for the loan of the player Marcus Rashford until 30 June 2026,’ a Barcelona statement read.
Marcus Rashford has completed a season long loan move to Barcelona from Man United
‘The agreement also establishes an option to buy the English forward.
‘The player have signed his contract as a Barça player this afternoon in at a private meeting in the presence of the FC Barcelona president, Joan Laporta; the director of the Football Area, and other Board members.’
Rashford, 27, returned to Old Trafford at the end of last season after an impressive loan spell at Aston Villa during the second half of the campaign.
He scored three goals and contributed four assists across all competitions as Unai Emery‘s side reached the Champions League quarter-finals.
However, his Villa Park form was not enough to convince United boss Ruben Amorim to give him a second chance, with the Portuguese eager to move the England international on this summer.
Rashford made up part of Amorim’s ‘bomb squad’ – a select group of United exiles with no future in the manager’s first team plans.
Members of the ‘bomb squad’ have been told to conduct pre-season training alone at United’s Carrington base, only when Amorim is not there.
His move to the Spanish giants sees him depart his boyhood club Manchester United
Rashford’s new No 14 shirt was place on display in Barcelona’s club shop
Rashford’s United predicament marked an alarming downfall from the sprightly 18-year-old who burst onto the scene by scoring twice on his Premier League debut against Arsenal in February 2016, when he was just 18.
That saw him tipped for stardom, although he has yet to maintain the consistency required to be considered among the top players in the world.
While he was a regular fixture in former England manager Gareth Southgate’s sides as an integral part of Three Lions’ run to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 and the final of Euro 2020, he has fallen out of favour since Thomas Tuchel’s arrival.
With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, Rashford will be hoping for a fresh start as he looks to secure his spot on the plane to North America next summer.
Red Devils manager Ruben Amorim was quick to jettison Rashford after arriving mid-way through last season
A new environment may also bring the best out of the forward, after he spoke out in April 2024 having been subjected to ‘months of abuse’.
A post on X, formerly Twitter, read: ‘The way Marcus Rashford is being treated is absolutely disgusting. It’s cruel. It’s abuse.’
Rashford responded by saying: ‘I appreciate your support! It is abuse and has been for months. Enough is enough.’
He will join a Barcelona side hoping to defend their LaLiga title they won in German coach Hansi Flick’s first season at the club.
