Marcus Rashford was recalled to Manchester United’s squad in December 2024 but didn’t play against Newcastle, highlighting his Old Trafford struggles before his loan move to Barcelona
The signs were already evident regarding Marcus Rashford’s Manchester United future even after his return to the first-team squad to face Newcastle United in late 2024.
The forward only earned a place in Ruben Amorim’s matchday selection due to an injury shortage, yet still failed to get on the pitch. Rashford, 28, moved to Barcelona last summer on a season-long loan arrangement.
The ex-Sporting CP boss, who was dismissed in January following a catastrophic spell at Old Trafford, brought Rashford back for United’s final fixture of the year.
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Whilst it marked the attacker’s first inclusion in five matchday squads, the Portuguese tactician made it abundantly clear that the 28-year-old’s presence was purely due to the extensive number of United players in the medical room.
“We have a lot of players [out] so he’s in,” the then-United manager stated at the time. Like I’ve said, every week I choose my players and he was there to be chosen. This time, he is here.”
Having been omitted from the side for allegedly poor training performances, Rashford was surprisingly named amongst the substitutes to face Eddie Howe’s team.
Yet, the choice not to grant Rashford any playing time during the encounter revealed everything about the player’s concerning predicament at Old Trafford, as he stayed on the bench throughout the entire contest.
Shortly after that fixture and with chances remaining scarce, Rashford joined Aston Villa on loan until the summer of 2025, before making his move to Spain in the summer.
The England star has shone during his stint in Spain, bagging 10 goals and registering 13 assists in 37 outings across all competitions this campaign.
He is now gearing up to take on Newcastle at St James’ Park in the Champions League last-16. Tuesday night’s encounter will mark the third occasion this season that Rashford has featured on English turf since his summer switch to Barcelona.
The England striker netted twice as Barca defeated Newcastle in the tournament’s league-phase back in September.
Barcelona also met Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in November, with the Blues securing a commanding 3-0 victory.
The Catalan club now possess a £26million option to secure Rashford’s services in the summer and it appears increasingly probable that they will make his transfer permanent.
Spanish outlet SPORT has previously claimed that Barca have achieved a breakthrough in reaching terms on wages with the striker, should they finalise a deal with United.
Speaking in October, Rashford expressed his desire to make his Spanish adventure permanent. “[I want to stay for] as many [seasons] as possible. We will see,” he told TNT Sports.
“I have to focus on trying to do my job and trying to help the team in whichever way I can.”
Speaking about his future with ESPN in the same month, he said: “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 is an honour. The main focus is to win football matches, this is why I joined this club, and it’s what the club demands.”
But his departure from United always appeared inevitable following that December 2024 clash against the Magpies, with Barcelona now set to consider whether or not to secure the forward permanently in the summer.