‘Marcus Rashford can’t play for Accrington Stanley, let alone Barcelona’
Man United star Marcus Rashford has been told he hasn’t proven he deserves to be playing for a team like Barcelona.
The 27-year-old enjoyed a rejuvenating loan spell with Aston Villa in the latter half of last season, making it to the Champions League quarter-finals before losing to eventual champions PSG.
However, Unai Emery’s side failed to qualify for Europe’s premier competition after losing to United on the final day of the season.
And as a consequence, Villa now find themselves in a tricky financial position and will be limited in their spending this summer, even after selling their women’s team to avoid a sanction from the Premier League as UEFA will bar Villa from European competition if the club makes losses of more than €85million (£73.15m) this season.
With a move back to the Villains off the table, Rashford now looks keen to join Barcelona, a move that seems more likely after the Catalan giants missed out on signing Nico Williams.
The winger is one of five players who have been told not to report for pre-season training by United as the club looks to shift on its unwanted players.
Rashford’s form not good enough for Barcelona
TalkSPORT host Jim White asked former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan about the club’s decision to exile Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Tyrell Malacia, Antony, and Jadon Sancho in a bid to encourage the players to ramp up their efforts to leave Old Trafford.
The former Eagles owner was critical of the decision before turning his attention to Rashford and his desires to secure a move to Catalonia.
Jordan said (7 July): “We can all run around like Marcus Rashford saying ‘I wanna play for Barcelona’.
“Oh I’m sure you do, but your form hasn’t dictated that you can play for Accrington Stanley.”
White laughed, then said it is an “odd look” for the club. Martin Keown went a step further and said “it’s an embarrassing look”, that there are so many players whom the club have failed to “integrate properly”.
Man United may be forced to loan Rashford out again
Football Insider Verdict
Barcelona‘s financial woes have been well documented in recent times after former president Josep Bartomeu nearly ran the club into the ground.
As a consequence, the club often have to take drastic measures to secure financing for bigger transfers.
Barcelona managed to cobble together the funds to sign Williams, and will still presumably have them available for Rashford.
But as pointed out by Jordan, the England international’s form was good, not brilliant, whilst on loan at Villa.
What’s more, there is a big difference between signing a 22-year-old and a 27-year-old recovering from a muscular injury and as such, Barcelona will be unlikely to want to splash out on the winger.
Whilst they’d love the cash boost, United are now in a position where they may be forced to settle for loaning Rashford out for another season, or face the prospect of having the unsettled winger as part of their squad for the forthcoming season.