Manchester United’s forward Marcus Rashford has expressed his aspiration to play beside youthful sensation Lamine Yamal at Barcelona.
The 27-year-old forward, who had a stint at Aston Villa in the latter half of the previous season, is currently engaging in fitness drills in Spain in preparation for the upcoming football season. Meanwhile, there are persistent rumors about his future with United.
In a conversation with Spanish social media personality Javi Ruiz, when the idea of playing with Yamal was suggested, Rashford responded positively, “Absolutely, who wouldn’t want to play with the best? We’ll see what the future holds.”
Yamal, who is merely 17, played a pivotal role in Barcelona’s domestic double win and their journey to the Champions League semi-finals last season. His impressive performance also contributed to Spain’s triumph in Euro 2024.
Rashford lauded Yamal’s skills, “It’s hard to describe his talent. Performing at such a high level at 16-17 years is unheard of. It’s a unique ability to play at that age with such maturity.”
There have been reports that Rashford felt his time at Manchester United was nearing its end under the management of Ruben Amorim.
Amorim, the Portuguese manager, had ousted him from the United squad in December, leading to Rashford’s loan to Aston Villa for the rest of the season.
Barcelona’s sporting director Deco had previously expressed interest in both Rashford and Liverpool’s winger Luis Diaz. However, financial constraints could pose an obstacle to Barcelona’s potential move to acquire Rashford.
Adding to the complexity, Barcelona has recently agreed on terms with Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams. However, due to stringent financial regulations, the deal hasn’t been finalized.
Barcelona is bound by the ‘1:1 rule’, which restricts the club’s expenditure to their income and officially calculated limit based on the expected revenue.
Rashford, who has been predominantly playing as a left winger in his recent stint with United, mentioned his growing comfort playing as a forward.
“The number nine position is becoming more instinctive for me. Playing with my back to the goal is getting easier. It’s a dangerous position being so close to the goal,” he stated.
