The England international hasn't looked like a world-class player for two years, but he could see plenty of game time in Catalunya

Rio Ferdinand was right when he claimed a lot of people were taken aback by Barcelona's interest in Marcus Rashford, "given what he's produced over the last two years". Basically, the forward's form and conduct have made a mockery of Manchester United's decision to give Rashford a new contract in July 2023 worth a staggering £325,000 ($438,000) per week.

Consequently, Ruben Amorim decided just over a month after taking over as manager last November that he wanted rid of Rashford as soon as possible. Frustratingly for United, a buyer could not be found – even after a mildly encouraging loan spell at Aston Villa during the second half of last season.

However, Barca have just agreed to sign Rashford with an option to buy for a fee in the region of £30 million ($40m) next summer – which is pretty much the best United could have hoped for in the circumstances. A transfer fee obviously would have been preferable, as it would have raised some badly-needed funds for the Amorim's enormous rebuilding job at Old Trafford, but United have at least managed to remove Rashford's enormous salary from their wage bill.

Furthermore, there's every chance that the loan deal could materialise into a permanent transfer – because while the general perception is that he'll be nothing more than a bench-warmer at Barcelona, Rashford could actually become a bargain buy this time next year…

Getty Images Sport'One of the top five players in the world'

United have obviously made a lot of dreadful moves during their decade of decline – and Rashford's colossal contract extension will obviously be remembered as one of them. However, we're not exactly talking about blowing £85m ($114m) on Antony here.

Rashford was playing out of his skin at the time, coming off the most prolific season of his career, having become the first United player since Robin van Persie to score 30 goals in all competitions across a single season. The word "unstoppable" was repeatedly used to describe Rashford during that 2022-23 campaign – and not just by then-boss Erik ten Hag.

Casemiro, for example, freely admitted that he had had no idea just how good Rashford was before joining United from Real Madrid. "In my opinion, especially knowing the player off the pitch, I can tell you that if he's feeling good, he can be one of the top five players in the world," the five-time Champions League winner told .

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'Capable of scoring 40 goals'

Casemiro's claim didn't look that ridiculous during the 2022 World Cup either. Rashford was a major problem for opponents during the group stage, scoring three times in three appearances, and many England fans were perplexed by Gareth Southgate's refusal to start the Mancunian in the knockout rounds.

Back then, it really did feel as if a 25-year-old Rashford was capable of justifying comparisons with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, with Ten Hag absolutely adamant that the best was yet to come.

"There's a lot of room for improvement in his game," the Dutchman said in May 2023. "I'm convinced he could score even more. We supported him where we could, with the way of playing but also in his mental mindset, so we are happy with that. But now we have to push for more, as I am sure he's capable of scoring 40 goals in a season."

Rashford has managed just 19 since then, though, and that explains why there's so much scepticism surrounding his Barca move.However, this is a deal that makes both sporting and financial sense for the Catalans.

Getty Images SportOlmo should be worried

There's no denying that Barcelona would have preferred to have signed either Nico Williams or Luis Diaz as they pursued a wide forward this summer. Rashford was, at best, third on their list of left wingers. However, the lack of a transfer fee should (hopefully!) mean that there are no issues registering Rashford, while there is also room for the Old Trafford outcast in Hansi Flick's starting line up.

Barca have wanted another winger for some time now – and not just to serve as Raphinha's understudy. Flick quite understandably feels that the Brazilian would be best deployed as a No.10, given just how much damage he did whenever he drifted into central areas last season.

Consequently, game time will likely be just as much of a concern for Dani Olmo next season as Rashford. Barca went to an awful lot of trouble to ensure that the Spain international was eligible to play after his arrival from RB Leipzig, but Olmo spent a worrying amount of time on the sidelines nursing niggling muscular problems that hindered his attempts to justify the decision to prioritise his signing over that of Williams last summer.

AFPAnother option up front

Rashford's hopes of regular match action will also be aided by his versatility. He has played up front in the past – sometimes quite successfully – and will definitely be an option anytime Flick wants to rest first-choice striker Robert Lewandowski, who turns 37 just five days after the start of Barca's Liga campaign.

Of course, Ferran Torres did a fine job of filling in for Lewandowski last season, bagging a career-high 19 goals in all competitions, and is more determined than ever before to prove himself a potential long-term successor to the prolific Pole. However, Rashford undoubtedly offers Flick another viable option at No.9 – and that's exactly what the German wanted after being unable to rotate his regulars as much as he would have liked last season.