Manchester United star Marcus Rashford has publicly opened up about a move to Barcelona, expressing that he would love to play alongside teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.
The England international will return to Old Trafford this summer after a loan spell at Aston Villa, where he recorded four goals and six assists in 17 games under Unai Emery.
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Despite making a good impression on the former Arsenal boss, it was clearly not enough for Villa to activate the £40 million purchase clause. Now, Rashford must therefore prepare for the possibility of completing pre-season training with United.
Relationship with Amorim “irreparably broken”
However, the relationship between Rashford and Ruben Amorim seems to be irreparably broken. Already several months ago, the winger admitted that he longed for a new challenge away from his childhood club.
A departure from the “Theatre of Dreams” this summer is therefore considered more a question of “when” than “if”. Barcelona has long been mentioned as one of the leading candidates to sign him from Manchester United.
Rashford’s big hint
Rashford has now given a clear hint about his desire to represent the Catalan giants. When YouTuber xBuyer asked if he wanted to play alongside Yamal in the future, he replied:
“Yes, of course. Everyone in the world wants to play with the best. So we’ll see.”
Rashford, who was on holiday in Marbella when the question was asked, added:
“It’s hard to put into words what he does, because he shouldn’t be able to do this as a 16-17-year-old. Playing at this level is incredible. His mentality is an exceptional quality.”
He also further fuelled the speculation by saying
: “Spain is nice, and not too far from home. If I train there for a long time, my family can visit me. It’s a great location with good weather.”
Statistics & Contract
United’s academy product still has three years left on his contract in Manchester, where he has scored 138 goals and provided 77 assists in 426 appearances in total.
Is Barcelona transfer realistic?
Despite Yamal and Raphinha’s strong seasons, the left-wing position has been a priority for Barcelona, as Raphinha is approaching 30 years old.
Rashford and Liverpool’s Luis Díaz have both been linked with the club, but this was before Barca made a breakthrough in their pursuit of Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams.
The Euro 2024 winner is expected to choose Barcelona over Arsenal and Bayern Munich, after agreeing personal terms on a long-term contract until 2031.
This seems to be ruining Rashford’s dream of a Camp Nou transfer. Alternatively, the 27-year-old could consider Serie A, where an Italian big club is reportedly interested in a loan before the transfer window closes on September 1.
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