Marcus Rashford completes shock loan move to Barcelona
Barcelona will cover Rashford’s full wages during his time at the club
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has joined La Liga giants Barcelona on a season-long loan.
The 27-year-old England international has signed an initial 12-month loan deal, with Barcelona holding the option to make the transfer permanent in 2026 for a fee of £30.3million (€35million).
Barcelona will cover Rashford’s full wages during his time at the club, after the forward agreed to take a pay cut.
This arrangement is expected to save Manchester United between £14-15 million in wages over the next year.
Rashford trained with his new teammates for the first time on Tuesday and is likely to be included in Barcelona’s squad for their upcoming pre-season tour in Asia, which begins with a trip to Japan on Thursday.
This move marks Rashford’s first departure from the Premier League since making his senior debut for United in 2016. It is also his second loan spell since last playing for Manchester United in December.
Since breaking into the first team, Rashford has scored 138 goals in 426 appearances for United, placing him 15th on the club’s all-time top scorers list.
A product of the Manchester United academy, Rashford has been a key figure at Old Trafford for nearly a decade.
“I’m very excited,” Rashford said at his unveiling. “It’s a club where dreams come true. They win big prizes and what the club stands for really means a lot to me.
“It feels like I’m at home and it’s a big factor in my choice to come here.
“It’s a family club and people are comfortable here. It’s a good place for good players to showcase their skills.”
A Barcelona statement said: “FC Barcelona and Manchester United have reached an agreement for the loan of the player Marcus Rashford until 30 June 2026. The agreement also establishes an option to buy the English forward.
“The player has signed his contract as a Barça player this afternoon at a private meeting in the presence of the FC Barcelona president, Joan Laporta; the director of the Football Area, and other Board members.”
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