Rashford passes medical in Catalonia for season-long loan
Marcus Rashford is on the brink of becoming a Barcelona player after passing a medical on Monday morning, signalling the final steps of a surprise loan move from Manchester United.
The 27-year-old England forward arrived in Barcelona on Sunday night and was warmly welcomed at the club’s training ground by head coach Hansi Flick and sporting director Deco. Talks between the two clubs advanced rapidly last week, with a deal in principle finalised over the weekend.
As part of the agreement, Rashford has accepted a 25% wage reduction, with Barcelona covering the remainder of his salary, saving United around £14 million. The deal also includes a 12-month loan with an option to buy for £30.3 million (€35m).
Rashford will be officially presented to the media on Wednesday, and Barcelona are hopeful of including him in their pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea, which kicks off Thursday.
While the club still needs to complete registration formalities with La Liga, Rashford can train and play in friendlies as an unregistered player. One such fixture, on 31 July, could see him face off against former teammate Jesse Lingard, who now plays for FC Seoul.
Pogba and Lingard React
Former United midfielder Paul Pogba praised the move, telling streamer IShowSpeed:
“I’m happy for him because they (United) took his number.
Manchester United are losing a great player. Unlucky for them. It’s great for Barcelona.”
He also commented on United’s new manager:
“It’s not Amorim’s fault. If he doesn’t believe in someone… He needs to win. If he doesn’t win, they’re going to sack him.”
This marks Rashford’s second consecutive loan, having spent the second half of last season at Aston Villa. Sources close to the player say he had long set his sights on a move to Barcelona after falling out of favour under new United boss Ruben Amorim, who dropped him from the first team last December.
