Barcelona send message to Marcus Rashford over early Man Utd return

reassured Rashford they have no plans to send him back to United and remain ‘confident’ he will become a ‘top player’ at the Nou Camp.

The England international made a temporary switch to Spanish champions Barcelona earlier this summer, signing a season-long loan deal.

Rashford is aiming to secure a permanent transfer at the end of the campaign, with Barcelona holding a £30 million purchase option should they be pleased with his performances.

However, the 27-year-old has had a quiet beginning to life in La Liga, featuring off the bench in two of Barcelona’s first three matches and yet to register a goal or assist.

Speculation surfaced over the weekend suggesting that Barcelona were already having second thoughts about the move and contemplating an early return to Manchester United.

Spanish media reported that club officials were not convinced by Rashford’s initial impact.

Despite this, renowned football journalist Guillem Balague dismissed the claims as “absolute rubbish” and shared that Barcelona had communicated their continued confidence in Rashford’s potential.

‘Absolutely rubbish that Barcelona is planning to end Marcus Rashford loan deal early,’ he wrote on X.

‘Barca told his representative that they have a lot of confidence in Rashford’s potential and that they believe he will recover as a top player.

‘No more to say, apart from the fact I agree with Gary Lineker and his treatment by some media.’

Rashford dedicated nearly 20 years to Manchester United, rising through the youth ranks to feature in 426 senior matches for the club.

His standout campaign came in 2022–23, when he netted an impressive 30 goals across all competitions.

However, the following two seasons proved challenging, prompting a mid-season loan switch to Aston Villa in January as he sought to reignite his form.

While at Villa Park, Rashford offered flashes of his undeniable talent but ultimately declined a permanent stay, opting instead for a fresh chapter with Spanish giants Barcelona.

Discussing his move to the Nou Camp, Rashford said: ‘I’m very excited. It’s a club where people’s dreams come true, they win big prizes.

‘What the club stands for means a lot for me. I feel like I’m at home and a big factor in my choice to come here is because it is a family place and a good place for good players to showcase their skills.

‘Another factor is because the conversations I had with [Hansi Flick] were positive. What he did last season was terrific.

‘To lead such a young team to a very successful season and come back to pre-season and still want to do more, it shows me everything I thought I knew about the club and it’s everything I wished.

‘I’m eager to learn the Barcelona way.’

Rashford left a United side who finished just 15th in the Premier League last campaign and have made a poor start to the new season.

Man United are in ‘no man’s land’, according to Rashford, who has called on the club to ‘make a plan and stick to it’ after more than a decade of stagnation.

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Rashford said: ‘You see it with any team that’s been successful over a period of time: they have principles that any coach that comes in, any player that comes in, has to align to these principles or be able to add to these principles.

‘Whereas at times I feel like United have just been: we’re hungry to win, so we’ll always try to adapt and to sign players that fit this system. But it’s reactionary.

‘If your direction’s always changing, you can’t expect to be able to win the league. Yeah, you might win some cup tournaments, but it’s because you do have a good coach and you do have good players and you have match winners in your team – you’re not there by accident.

‘We’ve been way below where we deem United to be. But then if you take a step back, which I’ve been able to do, especially over the last six months – what do you expect?

‘People say we’ve been in a transition for years. To be in a transition, you have to start the transition. So it’s like the actual transition’s not started yet.

‘To start a transition, you have to make a plan and stick to it. So this is the thing that I feel – it’s not easy. Because if it’s not going well, the fans demand [change].

‘But this is where I speak about being realistic with what your situation is. I feel like we’ve had that many different managers and different ideas and different strategies in order to win … you end up in the middle of – you end up in no man’s land.’