Footballer Marcus Rashford joins Barcelona

Manchester United have officially announced that forward Marcus Rashford has completed a loan move to La Liga champions Barcelona for the 2025/26 season.

In a statement released on Wednesday, July 23, the club confirmed:

“Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has joined Barcelona on loan for the duration of the 2025/26 season.
Since making his Reds debut in 2016, the 27-year-old Academy graduate has registered 426 appearances, scored 138 goals, and lifted five major trophies.
Marcus spent the second half of last season on loan with Premier League side Aston Villa, where he played 17 times and recorded 10 goal involvements across all competitions.
The England international has now agreed a temporary move to Spanish giants Barcelona. Everyone at Manchester United wishes Marcus good luck for the season.”

The loan deal includes an option for Barcelona to make the transfer permanent in 2026 for £30.3 million. As part of the agreement, the Catalan side will cover Rashford’s full wages during the loan period, following the player’s decision to accept a pay cut.

The 27-year-old becomes the first English player to join Barcelona since Gary Lineker in 1986. Barcelona are coming off a historic season in which they won both La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

Rashford hasn’t featured for United since December 2024 after falling out of favor with manager Ruben Amorim. He spent the latter half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, where he impressed with 10 goal contributions in 17 matches.

He trained with his new Barcelona teammates for the first time on Tuesday and is expected to be part of the squad traveling to Japan for the club’s pre-season tour of Asia on Thursday.

Rashford leaves the Premier League for the first time in his career, having scored 138 goals in 426 appearances since breaking into United’s first team in 2016. He ranks 15th on the club’s all-time top scorers list and is one of the most prominent graduates of United’s famed youth academy.