Barcelona loaned Manchester United striker Rashford, with a buyout clause of 30 million euros. The Athletic wrote an article revealing the behind-the-scenes situation of the Rashford deal.
TA Original text: Interpretation of Rashford joining Barcelona on loan: He wrote a letter to Yamal, the 30 million euro buyout option, and why "he must run more"
Deco and Frick's primary target in this summer's transfer window is an attacker, and Rashford is the candidate they pursue.
Barcelona has reached an agreement with Rashford to sign him on loan for one season. The players have joined the forward line with the highest goal efficiency in the five major European leagues. Last season, the front trident was composed of Yamal, Lewandowski and Rafinia.
Rashford also realized his dream as he wished. His desire to join Barcelona was so strong that he agreed to accept a salary cut, ranging from 15% to 25%, depending on the bonus. Manchester United will not bear any of its wages, his annual salary in Barcelona is about 14 million euros.
The deal includes a buyout option of €30 million at the end of the season. Contrary to some reports, the agreement does not include a clause that pays a €5 million liquidated damages if Barcelona does not activate the buyout option.
From the perspective of Manchester United, they save huge salary expenses. Even if he did not receive a 25% salary cut under the contract, Rashford's weekly salary at Manchester United is still about £300,000.
Last season, Rashford scored 7 goals for Manchester United in various competitions, but after a poor victory against Bilson on December 12, he lost his chance to play. Head coach Amorin took a tough stance on the level of effort he showed. Even after returning from Aston Villa’s loan expiration, Rashford was left out of the first team roster. He trained at the Carrington base for several days, and was told that Amorin and his teammates would not be able to report to the training ground after they left at 5 pm.
Manchester United took the No. 10 jersey from Rashford and handed it to the newly signed Cunha, which clearly shows that time has changed. Given that Rashford is completely out of Amorin's plan, being able to recover any amount is an additional benefit for Manchester United.
Rashford said at the Barcelona debut: "The situation for Manchester United is that the club is in a period of change, and this state has been going on for some time. I have no negative comments about Manchester United, which has played an important role in my career and throughout my life. I am grateful for the opportunity to play for Manchester United, but football is like life, and things are not always going as smoothly as I imagined. I just wish them all the best. I hope they will succeed in the future."
Rashford also agreed not to add any guarantee terms regarding his registration in Barcelona to the contract. The club has assured the players that they will complete their registration under La Liga salary rules before the transfer window ends, and Rashford trusts their commitments. Barcelona sees this as a positive signal of his desire to join.
Rashford arrived in Barcelona on July 20, but the foundation for this signing was laid six months ago. In January 2025, the middleman told Barcelona that Rashford dreamed of joining them, and that the players had established contacts with Barcelona-based agency AC Talent to facilitate the transfer.
On January 21, on the eve of Barcelona's Champions League match against Benfica, the two sides held a meeting in Lisbon. "AC Talent" agent Canales met with Barcelona sports director Deco to discuss the possible joining of Rashford on a six-month loan.
At that time, Barcelona was already considering introducing a new winger. They failed to sign Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams for the first time last summer, and despite the team's goals, coach Flick still hopes to strengthen the forward choice.
Frick approved the signing of Rashford in January this year. In addition to appreciating his technology, he talked with close friends at Rashford and learned about his commitment to fit into the Barcelona tactical system.
People familiar with the matter said that Rashford failed to join Barcelona in January because the club lacked salary space, and Barcelona was also deeply involved in the registration storm between Olmo and Victor.
Finally, the Spanish High Sports Council made a ruling, which allowed Barcelona to register for the two players in the second half of the season. This prevented Olmo, who had only joined the club for four months and was worth 60 million euros, from leaving the team as a free agent.
La Liga previously rejected the player's registration application because they believe Barcelona has failed to meet financial requirements at the end of 2024. The High Sports Council ruling overturned the decision of La Liga, causing a shock within the league and among other competing clubs in the Spanish top league. The situation of Olmo and Victor was finally resolved in time, but the twists and turns made Barcelona very limited in registration space under the salary cap rules, and also increased tensions with La Liga. Against this background, there is no room for Rashford.
After meeting with Barcelona in Lisbon for 9 days, Rashford agreed to join Aston Villa on a loan of six months and debuted in a Villa jersey.
Rashford needs time to evaluate and finally agree, and he decides to join Villa because he understands that this move will give him more confidence in his dream of joining Barcelona this summer.
Aston Villa provides a platform to shine on the Champions League stage, and a well-configured team that can fight against any opponent. Rashford’s closest people convinced him to make the decision, citing that as long as he performs well in Villa, he will have a chance to play for Barcelona this summer.
This plan was successful.
Rashford said at the July 23 debut: "This choice is not difficult.". Barcelona insiders believe that Rashford's remarks prove that he is extremely eager to join the club in any role, and he can accept it even if Nico completed the transfer at that time.
This season is a turning point in Rashford's career. He has values and goals that need to be proved, and next summer's World Cup is also near. Representing England to the World Cup is an important goal of Rashford. Barcelona believed that he could not afford the price of mistakes and would definitely do his best to adapt to Frick's request. The club's trust in his enthusiasm for work is also part of the reason for signing him.
There is another convenience factor for this: of all the left wingers that Barcelona has considered, Rashford is by far the easiest player to complete registration.
He joins on a season loan form without prepaid fees, so unlike any player who transfers permanently, there is no need to share many years of transfer costs in his contract.
Even if the salary cut is accepted, Rashford's salary is expected to be in the current lineup's high-paying players' echelon, below Yamal and Lewandowski, but on par with Ter Stegen, Pedri and De Jong.
Rashford said: "It's a happy team, and it's always easy to get into this environment when people are full of joy. I feel comfortable and can show myself. It's a relaxing dressing room atmosphere and ambition, so it's perfect for me."