Barcelona president Joan Laporta has claimed Marcus Rashford wanted to be a "one-club man" for Manchester United before being frozen out by Ruben Amorim. The England international, who spent nearly two decades rising through the ranks at Old Trafford, found himself on the fringes after the Portuguese manager took over and has now embarked on a new journey to reignite his England dreams.
Rashford has joined Barcelona on loan dealWas exiled by Amorim in December 2024Forward looking to revive his career in SpainFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Rashford joined United’s academy at the age of seven and became a fan favourite after his sensational debut in the 2015-16 season under Louis van Gaal. He scored twice in his very first senior appearance, which came during a Europa League clash against FC Midtjylland. However, his story at United took a difficult turn last season as new manager Amorim sidelined him from the regular first-team setup following ideological differences.
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By January, he was loaned out to Aston Villa in a surprising mid-season switch that allowed him to reignite his form. At Villa Park, he enjoyed a resurgence, showing flashes of the brilliance that once made him untouchable in United’s lineup. Villa’s loan agreement included a purchase clause, but Barcelona’s interest came in swiftly and decisively once it was evident that Rashford would not be part of United’s long-term plans.
WHAT LAPORTA SAID
Laporta emphasised Rashford never intended to leave United but was left with no other choice.
“We are very happy because a player of great quality is coming, at a great age to come to Barça with extraordinary motivation. Personally, I’ve seen how excited he is to come to Barca," he told reporters.
"One of his virtues is that he is sincere. His dream was to play for Manchester United for the rest of his life. He arrived at the age of seven and was born there with an interesting life. He wanted to be a ‘One club man’. It’s nice for a player to say this with all the sincerity."
DID YOU KNOW?
However, with Amorim's tactics sidelining Rashford and his career at a crossroads, the player found solace in the idea of joining a team he had admired from afar.
Laporta added: "But when a situation arises in his life that he did not expect, the team he had always liked is Barça. He had faced us and had Barça on the radar. He was loaned to Aston Villa so that it could be seen that he is the best player ever, the best in England and he says that his maximum motivation is to win the Champions League with Barça and the World Cup with England.
"We have him very motivated. He came in strong as a rock, he’s very excited, he’s entered well with his teammates and I’m very happy because two years ago he beat us in the Europa League. He made the difference in the tie and that’s why I’m very happy that he came.”
