Marcus Rashford has admitted that he has previously had talks with Barcelona about a potential move from Manchester United, but it didn’t come to fruition until this year. The England international has also revealed that he is desperate to make the move permanent.
Following a half-season stint at Aston Villa last term, Rashford made a season-long switch to Barcelona during the summer transfer window. After breaking into the United first team, Rashford found himself sidelined under Ruben Amorim, prompting his loan moves away from Old Trafford.
However, he has now revealed that this wasn’t the first time a potential move to Barcelona had been on the cards. “I just believe that things happen when they’re supposed to happen,” he shared with ESPN.
“It’s not the first time I spoke with Barcelona about potentially coming here, but for whatever reasons it didn’t happen in the past and now is my opportunity to make it happen.
“I feel like there’s no time like the present now. So I just take things day to day.
“The key thing for me is just to continue to improve because when you retire, you’re going to miss everything — the good stuff, the bad stuff — you’re going to miss it about the sport.
“Every day I just take it day by day and just try to improve from the day before.”
Barcelona have the option to make Rashford’s move permanent in the summer, although Spanish outlet Sport reports that the club are prepared to wait and assess the situation before making a decision on a possible permanent transfer.
Rashford has made his intentions clear regarding his future, expressing his desire to remain at the Nou Camp beyond his loan deal and stating that it is an ‘honour’ to wear the shirt.
“Oh yeah, for sure,” he responded when asked if he wished to stay.
“I’m enjoying this football club and I think for anybody who loves football, Barcelona is one of the key clubs in the history of the game. For a player, it’s an honour.”
Rashford will be aiming to replicate his brace in the Champions League against Olympiacos in his first El Clasico encounter this weekend as Barca face Real Madrid. In anticipation of the match, Rashford has shared insights about his transition from United to Barcelona: “It was so many years in one place. People forget this, but 24 years, 23 years of my life was with Manchester United,” he said.
“So sometimes you just need a change. I think maybe this is the case with me and yeah, I’m enjoying everything.”