- Marcus Rashford left Man Utd on loan for Barcelona
- Frenkie de Jong explained how ‘excited he was’
- Rashford’s future remains uncertain
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has urged the La Liga giants to sign Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford permanently. The English star has spent the season on loan with the Catalans.
Rashford left United for Camp Nou last summer after falling out with former head coach Ruben Amorim. He also spent the second half of the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Aston Villa.
The 28-year-old has made a good impression at Barca, playing an important role in their La Liga title-winning season. He has found the back of the net 14 times and provided as many assists in 48 games across competitions.
READ: Latest Manchester United news and updates
FOLLOW: Read Man Utd on Facebook, Instagram and X
“He wanted to stay” – De Jong on Rashford
Rashford’s future remains uncertain ahead of the summer transfer window. While Barca possess a £26m buy option in his loan agreement, they are yet to indicate that they intend to trigger it.
De Jong has thrown his support behind the England international and also given an insight into the United loanee’s mood when he joined the club. He said (via Barca Universal):
“Rashford has earned the right to stay. He has given us goals, assists, depth and speed. I would be delighted if he stays. Rashford arrived with a lot of excitement. From the first moment, you could see he wanted to stay and adapt.”
Rashford and United undoubtedly needed to part ways, both for the player and the club. His career had reached a crossroads, and Amorim had exiled him from first-team football.
The English attacker has returned to his former best, producing performances that made him so highly regarded during his Old Trafford spell. You could see how relieved he was to put the latter stages of his spell with his boyhood club behind him.
Flick wants to keep Rashford
Barca boss Hansi Flick has reportedly given the green light for Rashford to stay at Camp Nou. The United loanee is prepared to make financial sacrifices to seal a permanent switch, per Matteo Moretto.
The only obstacle in the Catalans’ way is the fee as they are reluctant to pay the £26m buy option. Conversations are expected between the two clubs to find a resolution.
Rashford rose through United’s youth ranks before debuting at the age of 18. He made 426 appearances for the Red Devils, posting 138 goals and 79 assists.
