Marcus Rashford was the target of Barcelona in 2019. At that time, Man United valued the academy's talent at up to 100 million pounds. Although Barca could not return this number at that time, they had at least had the first negotiations on Rashy's case.
When Man United faced Barcelona in the Europa League knockout round of the 2022-2023 season, Barca's then-captain Xavi admitted that Rashford was the most dangerous player for the Old Trafford team. After that, the English striker gradually fled, his form declined rapidly, to the point that he had to go to Aston Villa to play on loan in the second half of the 2024-2025 season.
Leaving aside stories about salary reduction, reduced benefits, ... from Rashford in this deal, the opportunity for the English striker to regain his peak in the new shirt is wide open. If only considering the past 10 years, despite having difficult times, Barcelona has always had a better position than Man United.
Next season, while Man United will only play domestically, Barca will compete in the Champions League. Not to mention that the Camp Nou team could face Real Madrid many times, not just 2 matches in La Liga, it would be the biggest stage in the world for Rashford to put the talent into question.
There are two immediate advantages for Rashford. First, at Barca, the attack is the soul of the team. This is very different from Man United and Aston Villa. Therefore, appearing in the front line is an advantage for "Doctor" to make his mark.
Second, Barca just dropped the Nico Williams deal, which is a pity after many months of pursuit. Williams also plays on the left wing like Rashford, so the English striker is expected to make Cules no longer regret Williams.
Rashford's salary, although reduced, is still among the highest at Camp Nou. However, this is not uncommon for Barca. This team has owned many players with sky-high salaries in recent years. In return, Rashford's media power is considered very strong because he is an English player. If sales from commercial activities such as shirt sales, advertising, sponsorship, etc. continue to flow, the Catalan team can completely cover most of the costs.
Rashford will join Barca in a very strong version of Hansi Flick. Last season, the Camp Nou team played 60 matches in all competitions, scoring 174 goals and absolutely dominating Spanish football with 3 championships (La Liga, Supercopa and Copa Del Rey). In the Champions League, they stopped against Inter in extra time after a semi-final series that was considered the best in the history of the tournament.
If David Beckham made a strong impression when joining Real Madrid, Marcus Rashford could do the same when coming to Barcelona if all the factors of fashion were combined.
When moving to Barcelona, Rashford will live near the Mediterranean, where the team's players often buy villas to stay. The sunlight and bustle of the area will be completely different from the cold UK, especially in somewhat gloomy areas like the industrial city of Manchester. As long as Rashford can connect with his teammates and fans here, everything will be very different.
The big stage is ahead and Rashford is always ready to start his career at Camp Nou. congining with these two factors, the day the English striker returns to his form after the 2022 World Cup is a not-so-impossible prospect.
