Marcus Rashford has indicated his time at Barcelona is over after posting a farewell message to the club and its supporters, with the Spanish side having decided against making his loan permanent. The forward joined Barcelona on a season-long loan from Manchester United following a falling-out with then-manager Ruben Amorim.
The loan agreement included an option to buy for £26 million, but Barcelona declined to trigger it. Rashford scored 14 goals in 49 appearances, including in a Clasico victory, and contributed as the club retained their La Liga title. However, he was not a guaranteed starter, with Lamine Yamal and Raphinha occupying the wide positions.
In an Instagram post, Rashford expressed his gratitude, saying he had enjoyed every moment and wished the club every success. The prospect of a permanent move had already been diminished by Barcelona’s £70 million signing of Anthony Gordon from Newcastle, suggesting they had other priorities. The club are now reportedly targeting Julian Alvarez as a replacement for Robert Lewandowski, with Atletico Madrid reluctant to sell.
Rashford now returns to Manchester United, where he has not played for over 18 months. Amorim has since departed, with Michael Carrick now in charge. It remains unclear whether Rashford will be reintegrated into the squad, particularly with Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha ahead in the pecking order after helping United finish third last season.
Since his debut in 2016, Rashford has scored 138 goals in 426 appearances for his boyhood club.
