Marcus Rashford is currently a Barcelona player. It sounds unbelievable for a player who was left out of the Manchester United squad by Ruben Amorim in December this year.
However, the English striker will join Lamine Yamal and Raphinha in the reigning La Liga champions' jersey next season, after completing a loan deal with Hansi Flick's side.
Barcelona and Man United have reached a deal that would allow Rashford to permanent move to Camp Nou for just €30 million if he impressed in the 2025-2026 season.
At the age of 27, Rashford should be at the peak of his career. After signing a 5-year contract with the "Red Devils" just two years ago, the team expected him to spend his peak years in the red shirt.
However, Rashford's career at Old Trafford has plummeted due to poor form and a series of problems off the pitch - things that made both coach Amorim and his predecessor Erik ten Hag angry.
Despite the negativity surrounding Rashford in recent seasons, he is still a player capable of shining in big matches.
This striker possesses speed, goalscoring ability and strong determination to prove his worth. And Barcelona believes that recruiting the English striker is a gambling game worth betting on.
So, how did Rashford get such a dream transfer deal, after his career at Man United declined so much?
Let's go back to 2016, when Rashford emerged at the age of 18 for Man United.
His Europa League debut with a double after coming on as a substitute against FC Midtjylland, followed by two goals in his Premier League debut, immediately put Rashford up to the star list.
His rapid rise has quickly attracted the attention of Barcelona and Paris St-Germain.
The interest from the Blaugrana has existed for a long time and is very serious, but the close connection between Rashford and Man United always makes the prospect of a transfer impossible.
He is a star of the team and Man United also proved that by extending his contract many times, in addition to his growing salary.
However, since signing a five-year contract worth £325,000/week in July 2023, Rashford has started to decline in form. He played inconsistently and had discord with Ten Hag and later Amorim.
When Amorim announced in December last year that Rashford no longer has a future at the club, the English striker also publicly expressed his desire to seek a new challenge.
According to British media, Barcelona is the destination that Rashford is eager for. However, although Barca have long-term interest in Rashford, their difficult financial situation has hampered their efforts to make a loan deal.
When Barcelona could not complete the deal in January this year, Rashford agreed to join Aston Villa on loan for the rest of the season. He has scored 4 goals and had 6 assists after 17 appearances.
However, the England international is determined to move to Spain. Barcelona's sporting director, Deco, has maintained regular contact with Man United as well as Rashford's representative.
Barcelona's top priority this summer is Nico Williams of Athletic Bilbao and they have also made efforts to catch up with Luis Diaz of Liverpool.
Williams seemed ready to join Barca until a last-minute turning point saw him sign a 10-year contract to continue his commitment to Bilbao.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have rejected any negotiations involving Diaz. As a result, Rashford has become a factor Barcelona are paying attention to. Talks with Man United took place quickly last week.
Barcelona are willing to pay Rashford's entire salary after the player accepted a significant reduction in income. The Red Devils also agreed a relatively low transfer fee, allowing Barcelona to sign a long-term contract next summer.
Why? Because this deal closes a long chapter in the story between Rashford and Man United. And the fee of 30 million Euros is considered reasonable for a 28-year-old player with 2 years left on his current contract.
If Rashford plays successfully, Barcelona will own a proven top-class player, at a relatively modest price.
On the contrary, if he cannot show himself, a year at Barcelona still helps Rashford maintain value in the transfer market and creates conditions for Man United to sell him next year.
In general, this seems to be an agreement that satisfies all parties.
