Marcus Rashford will hope to get his career back on track after leaving Manchester United for Barcelona.
The 27-year-old was once seen as the future of Manchester United, but now Marcus Rashford’s career is at an interesting crossroads.
United agreed to loan Rashford to Barcelona, and a £30m buy option attached to the deal means there is a good chance he has played his final game for the Red Devils.
Rashford is set to be unveiled on Wednesday as Barcelona’s latest signing, before joining their pre-season tour of Asia.
With the likes of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski all competing for starting spots, Rashford could find it difficult to settle, and he will have the added spotlight of Spanish press.
Marcus Rashford warned about Spanish media spotlight
Rashford became a media star in England following his incredible breakthrough at Manchester United, meaning his personal life was often made public.
Towards the end of his time in Manchester, Rashford’s attitude became a concern, but the reality is that he has represented United well and done some magnificent work outside of the football pitch.
Moving to Barcelona as a high-profile signing will come with plenty of media attention, and The Athletic’s Andy Mitten has warned him that the “scrutiny will be fierce”.
“Not since Gary Neville became Valencia manager nearly a decade ago will someone moving from Mancunia to Iberia have faced so much attention,” Mitten wrote.
He then explored the experience of Mark Hughes – the last United player to make a move to Barcelona before Rashford.
In his autobiography, Hughes wrote: “They made our own pressmen appear like pussycats,” when talking about the Spanish press.
Mitten adds that the Spanish media spotlight “became a nightmare” for Hughes during his time at Barcelona – Rashford will be keen to avoid a similar situation.
Marcus Rashford has a fresh start at Barcelona
As a boyhood fan and an academy graduate, there is no denying that Rashford wanted nothing more than to succeed at Old Trafford.
He will depart as the club’s most successful academy graduate in the past decade, but his exit still feels a tad bitter given his extremely promising potential.
Regardless, Rashford’s “dream” was to join Barcelona and that has now come true. With a World Cup on the horizon, he now has an opportunity to turn things around and get his career back on track.
Being the face of United for so long, especially during a time where success has been hard to find, will have toughened Rashford up when it comes to media speculation and spotlight.
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Barcelona fans have already warmed to Rashford, and he will hope to win them over during his loan stint.
A permanent move to the Nou Camp next summer would suit every party.
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