WHY MARCUS RASHFORD IS REFUSING TO RETURN TO MAN UTD AFTER BARCELONA MASTERCLASS
One year after Ruben Amorim froze him out, Marcus Rashford has found his groove at Barcelona and wants a permanent exit.
Wow, it's been a year since Marcus Rashford dropped that bomb about wanting out of Manchester United. Seriously, who thought he'd ever leave Old Trafford? He was like, "Mr. United," you know? Grew up there, became a star—especially while he was supposedly in top shape, which makes even less sense.
The last year has been wild for the guy. United's coach, Ruben Amorim, iced him out, and then he had a so-so loan thing at Aston Villa. Now he's killing it in Spain with Barcelona.
A year ago, he was making headlines for being a knucklehead. Got benched for the Manchester City game because his attitude in practice was supposedly garbage. And that came after, like, a year and a half of him playing badly, when he used to be the team's engine.
When Amorim publicly ripped into him, that seemed to push Rashford over the edge. He did that interview with Henry Winter and said he was ready for a different vibe.
He actually said he was thinking about leaving. “I am ready for what’s next.” These were his words.
I'm gone with no hard feelings. I'm not going to say any mean thing about Manchester United after this. That's just me.
If things are already bad, I’m not going to make them worse. Other players have left being nasty, but not me. I'll make a statement, and it will be the last you hear of it.
Rashford also said about being benched: Being left out of a big match sucks, but it happens. We still won the game. Let's keep it moving.
Sure, I was bummed out, but I'm older now; I deal with it better. What am I going to do? Start crying? Or work hard for the next chance I will get.
At that point, things were done between Rashford and Amorim. Rashford didn't even make the game-day roster for the rest of the month. On December 30, 2024, he sat on the bench against Newcastle doing nothing.
Since he hadn't played since December 12, Amorim said in January that Rashford needed to fix his game if he wanted to play again. He told everyone that he would rather play the 63-year-old backup goalie than pick a guy who isn't trying in practice.”
Rashford went to Aston Villa on loan at the end of January. He needed to boost his street cred after being frozen out, especially when they played PSG in the Champions League.
He got 4 goals and 6 assists in 940 minutes, but then he hurt his hamstring and went back to United. Then, he was put with four other guys who were told to stay away from the main team while they looked for a transfer.
Rashford got his wish in July, moving to Barcelona on loan. The loan goes until the summer of 2026. In the past five months Rashford has found his groove again. In 24 games there, he has 11 assists and 7 goals.
The dude has said he doesn't want to return to United. He wants to sign with Barcelona when his loan is up. It's not clear if Barcelona will use their £26 million option to buy him. With the way things are with Amorim, Rashford is probably done with United for good.
AXEL DISASI, OTAMENDI OR NATHAN AKE ? THE SECRET LIST OF DEFENDERS OFFERED TO HANSI FLICK
Barcelona pivots to January signings after Andreas Christensen’s ACL injury. Nathan Ake and Axel Disasi lead the shortlist.
Barcelona wasn't planning on doing much this January, but that might change since Andreas Christensen is out for months with an ACL injury.
Hansi Flick said he'd talk to Deco about it, and now everyone's throwing out names of possible short-term replacements for Barcelona in January.
If La Liga agrees Christensen is out long-term, Barca can replace his spot on the payroll with a new player. The catch? The new guy's salary can't be more than 80% of what Christensen makes.
So, who could Barca go after in January?
Disasi or Ake?
Diario Sport says Barcelona has already been offered a couple of players. Chelsea's Axel Disasi, who wants more playing time, is one option. He's stuck in Chelsea's bomb squad right now but was on loan at Aston Villa last season.
But here's the thing: Disasi can't go out on loan this January. Fabrizio Romano says Chelsea already used up their loan spots.
Sport also mentions Manchester City's Nathan Ake. He's not playing as much there and might move to get his World Cup hopes up. He's a versatile left-footer and supposedly has offers from other Premier League teams too.
Senesi, Otamendi, or De Vrij?
Mundo Deportivo has a bunch of other names. Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth keeps getting mentioned because he's likely leaving. Both Barcelona and Atletico are interested, and Bournemouth might sell him in January to avoid losing him for nothing in the summer.
MD also points out Nicolas Otamendi (37) and Stefan de Vrij (33) as possibilities for Barcelona. Otamendi is still doing well at Benfica and is their captain, while De Vrij might leave Inter since he's not playing much and his contract is almost up.
And the rest...
There are other rumors floating around too. Luiz Felipe from Rayo Vallecano, Diego Llorente at Real Betis, and Juan Foyth from Villarreal (remember that one?) are supposedly targets for Barcelona. Expect a lot more names to come up as we get closer to January.
WHY MARCUS RASHFORD BELIEVES BARCELONA PRESSURE IS BETTER THAN THE OLD TRAFFORD ENVIRONMENT
Marcus Rashford confirms he wants to stay at Barcelona permanently following a successful loan spell from Man United.
Marcus Rashford says he's more driven to do well at Barcelona after moving from Manchester United, saying there's a positive kind of pressure at his new club.
Rashford, who joined the Spanish team on loan from his childhood club at the start of the season after being sidelined by Ruben Amorim, is enjoying life in Spain. He's scored seven goals and assisted 11 in 24 games this season.
The 28-year-old forward had said he wants to stay in Spain after his loan ends, with the club having the option to buy him for £30.3 million.
When asked if that was still his main goal, he told Sport, "Of course, that's what I want, but it's not the only reason I'm pushing myself."
I want to win. Barcelona is a great club known for winning, and there's a certain pressure that comes with that—but it's not a bad thing.
It's pressure you look forward to having while playing football. If I were at a club that didn't expect these things, it would be hard for me to stay motivated. This is a great place for me to continue my football career.
‘I think Man U gets extra flak because most fans in the country just don't like them, plain and simple,’ Harry Maguire told TNT Sports earlier this year.
When asked how he's settled into life in Barcelona, Rashford said, "I felt welcome from day one." I'm here to help the team and win trophies.
They had a great season last year, but things move fast in life and football, so we have to do it again.
I'm focused on that, and the staff and players know it, so it's all good.
Rashford came up through United's academy into the first team under Louis van Gaal in 2016 and was one of the club's most promising young players. But a rocky period at United, with six different managers, led to inconsistent performances in his later seasons.
After scoring 30 goals in Erik ten Hag's first season, he struggled to keep up his form, and Ruben Amorim's arrival marked the beginning of the end for the Englishman's time at Old Trafford.
Rashford joined Aston Villa less than three months after the Portuguese boss arrived. Amorim said he couldn't get Rashford on board with his ideas. "I couldn't get Marcus to see football or training the way I do," Amorim said then.
Sometimes a player works really well with one coach but not with another. I wish Rashford all the best.
Rashford's latest comments suggest he felt there was a problem with the level and type of pressure at the club.
Scott McTominay has also done well since leaving United, helping Napoli win the Serie A last season and getting a Ballon d'Or nomination.
He's not the only one to mention the intense criticism faced by United players. Harry Maguire said the pressure was on a totally different level compared to other clubs.
I think Man U gets extra flak because most fans in the country just don't like them, plain and simple, Maguire told TNT Sports earlier this year.
Everyone in the Premier League dislikes Man Utd, and they don’t want to see them do well.”
Rashford, who has been called an absolute professional by his new manager Hansi Flick, isn't the only recent departure thriving abroad. Former winger Antony has contributed 13 goals in 19 games for Real Betis in his first season since his permanent move in the summer.
Scott McTominay was nominated for the Ballon d’Or after helping Napoli clinch the Serie A title last season, winning the Player of the Season award for his performances.
Former Red Angel Gomes, who has received an England call-up since leaving United in 2020 for a flourishing career at Lille and now Marseille, described how some players benefit from being free of the weight of the United shirt.
‘Players may have been intimidated or not really know about the weight, what it carries, and what it takes,’ he told the BBC in June.
‘But ultimately, sometimes, it’s down to environment, timing, and having the right things in place to help you.
‘Some players who have left and gone on to do better than when they were at United, there might be things in place at that certain club, at that moment in time, that helped them succeed.’