Barcelona announce the signing of Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford.
Barcelona have officially confirmed what has long been an open secret – the signing of Marcus Rashford from Manchester United on a season-long loan. The Catalan giants have an option to buy the 27-year-old England international, which is believed to be around €30 million.
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The Catalan giant announced the transfer after Rashford arrived on Sunday evening. He was greeted by Barcelona’s management on Monday, spent Tuesday morning at the gym, and was seen from a distance recording a presentation video before training with the rest of the team. Rashford will wear the number 14 shirt.
The terms of the Rashford deal
Rashford is believed to have taken a 25% pay cut to be able to join Barcelona, with the Catalan club paying the rest of his salary. This amounts to approximately €14 million (€7 million net for Rashford), which places him at the upper end of Barcelona’s wage scale. Rashford earns €18 million annually at Manchester United.
Barcelona can make the transfer permanent for €30 million at the end of the season, but if they do not make use of this clause, United will receive a fine of €5 million.
Internal doubts about Rashford at Barcelona
Although a transfer was discussed in January, and he has long been linked with the Blaugrana, there were internal doubts about the England international. Barcelona first tried to sign Luis Díaz and then Nico Williams, before turning to Rashford as a cost-effective option. Sporting director Deco is said to remain unconvinced about the signing, while manager Hansi Flick was keen to bring him to the club, as he felt the attack needed more options.
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Flick spoke to Rashford on Thursday before Barcelona went ahead with the deal, and made it clear that he expected an increased effort from Rashford without the ball – the area of his game that has caused the most doubts. Rashford, who was reportedly desperate to move to Camp Nou, accepted Flick’s challenge. The plan is for Rashford to play mostly on the left wing, as an alternative to Raphinha.
What now?
The transfer marks a new chapter in Rashford’s career, having spent his entire professional career at Manchester United. For Barcelona, he represents an opportunity to strengthen their attack without having to pay a hefty transfer fee immediately.
It remains to be seen whether Rashford can regain his top form in La Liga, and whether he can convince the doubters at Barcelona that he deserves a permanent place in the squad. With his speed and technique, he can still be an important piece for Hansi Flick’s team this season.
The football world will no doubt be watching closely how this transfer unfolds!
