Marcus Rashford appears to have once again hinted he wants to join Barcelona permanently after a successful loan spell this season. The Manchester United forward has been the subject of endless transfer speculation.
After falling out of favour at Old Trafford under both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, Rashford sought greener pastures, first with Aston Villa and then with Barcelona. He has starred in Spain, scoring 14 goals in all competitions and registering 14 assists en route to the La Liga title.
This has been enough to earn him a call-up to Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the upcoming World Cup, but where he will play his club football next season remains a mystery. It has long been understood that Barcelona can sign Rashford for £26 million, but there has been some back-and-forth over his fee.
As the season ended, the player also made it clear he would like to stay in Catalonia, despite being offered a route back to Manchester. A snub last week may have hinted at Rashford's true feelings, and another social media post could clarify things even further.
Rashford's Social Media Message
Rashford played his final match for Barcelona this season on Saturday against Valencia, and a day after the 3-1 defeat, he took to Instagram with a poignant message. He captioned a picture of him in Barcelona gear and a video of him lifting the La Liga trophy: "Always a pleasure. Season 25/26. Hungry for more."
The "hungry for more" appears to confirm Rashford would like to continue what he has started in Spain with a permanent return to Barcelona next term. Rashford's post comes just days after he caught flak for seemingly snubbing United when thanking coaches and clubs after receiving his Three Lions World Cup call-up.
Omission of Manchester United
The 28-year-old took to Instagram and wrote: "Special thanks to Unai [Emery], Hansi [Flick], Thomas, Aston Villa, Barcelona & England for believing in me when things got tough." He omitted United from this list, and fans caught on, chastising him for failing to acknowledge his boyhood club. However, the forward cleared things up on X.
Rashford responded: "To make my IG story clear. It's not a dig of any sort! I'm a MU supporter, and that remains. I was showing gratitude to the clubs and coaches that I have worked with over the past 18 months, they have played a big role in this England call-up."
Support from Teammate
Last week, he was backed to remain with Barcelona by teammate Frenkie de Jong. Asked if the Englishman should stay, De Jong told Sport: "Yes, I believe so. In the minutes he's played, he has given us a lot: goals, assists, depth. He is a fast player, who threatens rival defences. I would be delighted if he continued with us. He arrived here with a lot of enthusiasm. He was very happy to be here and from the first moment he arrived you could already see that he wanted to stay. He's tried to adapt as best he could and I've seen him do well."
