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WEDNESDAY | JULY 23, 2025

Malaysian Paper

M ARCUS RASHFORD’S tears after winning the 2024 FA Cup spoke volumes about the star’s adoration of his boyhood club, even if it hasn’t always been plain sailing at Old Trafford. The 27-year-old was cast aside by Ruben Amorim midway through last season before ultimately spending the latter half of the campaign on loan with Aston Villa in search of regular football. While Unai Emery’s side had the option to make Rashford a permanent addition to the team this year for £40 million (RM232m), they ultimately decided to send him back to his parent club instead. Despite a promising spell in the Midlands, scoring four goals and providing six assists in 17 outings, Rashford still wasn’t a part of Amorim’s plans going forward upon his return to the north west. As a result, Rashford has been pushing for a move to Barcelona since the opening of the summer transfer window. It now appears as though his wish may be granted, albeit potentially only temporarily. That’s because Rashford has landed in Spain to have a medical with the Catalan giants, after Barcelona agreed to a year-long loan deal with the Red Devils which includes a £25.9 million (RM147.7m) option to buy come June 2026. Although it appears as though his relationship with United has waned over the past couple of months, it doesn’t reflect on the 27-year-old’s adoration for the Red Devils on the whole. Raised in Manchester, Rashford has been with United since the age of seven, and his reaction to winning one of England’s most prestigious trophies with his boyhood club last May spoke volumes about his affinity for the side. After the 2-1 win over local rivals Manchester City, Rashford took to Instagram to upload a picture of himself in tears and applauding fans during the post-match celebrations at Wembley, captioning the snap: “People want to know what Man United means to me!” Meanwhile, at Christmas, he told journalist Henry Winter of parting ways with United: “For me, personally, I think I’m ready for a new challenge and the next steps. “When I leave it’s going to be ‘no hard feelings.’ You’re not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. “That’s me as a person. If I know that a situation is already bad I’m not going

Time for change Rashford crying speaks volumes as Man Utd, Barcelona deal goes through

to make it worse. “I’ve seen how other players have left in the past and I don’t want to be that person. When I leave I’ll make a statement and it will be from me.” Meanwhile, it is said that the respect is mutual between Manchester United and Rashford as the star prepares to take to La Liga for 2025/26, with the MEN reporting that figures at the Red Devils are “continuing to tread on eggshells” and are keen to highlight his legacy as one of their most impressive academy graduates. While the forward is expected to complete his move to Barcelona in the coming days, Rashford’s journey to the Nou Camp has been far from straightforward. A deal looked to be shelved completely earlier in the transfer window when Barcelona looked to favour a move for Athletic Club’s Nico Williams. As per The Athletic , the seemingly done deal broke down at the eleventh hour, when Williams asked for an exit clause to be inserted into his contract if the Catalan giants were unable to register him. When they refused, Williams ultimately decided against the move, instead signing a 10-year extension in Bilbao. Liverpool’s Luis Diaz was Barcelona’s next favoured option on the left wing, especially given the star had outlined his intentions to leave Anfield this year. Barca made it clear from the outset that they were not willing to pay more than £60.5 million (RM351m) for the Colombian talent, but when it was reported that the Reds valued the 28 year-old for more than £70 million (RM399m), the La Liga outfit pulled out of the race completely. Bayern Munich remain keen on snapping up the player before the transfer window is through, however, they will need to up their opening bid of £58.6 million (RM334m) should they hope to strike a deal. With Williams and Diaz out of the picture, Barcelona turned their attention to Rashford with hopes of bolstering their strike force for 2025/26. While the Red Devils were initially keen on shifting Rashford permanently, it now appears as though they are willing to let him leave on a season-long loan with an option to buy. Should his medical be successful, it is likely that Rashford will join Barcelona’s pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea tomorrow. – Express Newspapers

Ű BY AARON MORRIS

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