Barcelona have reassured Marcus Rashford they have no plans to send him back to Manchester United and remain ‘confident’ he will become a ‘top player’ at the Nou Camp.
The England star joined Spanish champions Barcelona on a season-long loan deal earlier in the summer.
Rashford wants to earn a permanent move next summer, with Barca having a £30m option to keep him at the Nou Camp if they are satisfied with his performances.
The 27-year-old has endured a subdued start to his career in La Liga, coming on as a substitute in two of Barcelona’s first three games of the season.
Rashford is still waiting for his first goal or assist for the Catalan giants and it was suggested over the weekend that Barcelona were already questioning their transfer decision.
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Reports in Spain said decision-makers Barcelona were unconvinced by Rashford’s start at the club and were considering sending him back to Manchester United.
But Spanish football expert Guillem Balague says those reports are ‘absolutely rubbish’ and has revealed Barcelona’s message to Rashford.
‘Absolutely rubbish that Barcelona is planning to end Marcus Rashford loan deal early,’ he wrote on X.
‘Barca told his representative that they have a lot of confidence in Rashford’s potential and that they believe he will recover as a top player.
‘No more to say, apart from the fact I agree with Gary Lineker and his treatment by some media.’
Rashford spent the best part of two decades at Manchester United, making 426 first-team appearances after coming through the academy.
His most productive season for the Red Devils came in 2022-23 when he scored 30 goals in all competitons.
The last two seasons have been frustrating for Rashford, however, and he joined Aston Villa on loan in January in the hope of revitalising his career.
Rashford showed glimpses of his immense potential at Villa Park and rejected the chance to move there permanently in favour of a move to Barcelona.
Discussing his move to the Nou Camp, Rashford said: ‘I’m very excited. It’s a club where people’s dreams come true, they win big prizes.
‘What the club stands for means a lot for me. I feel like I’m at home and a big factor in my choice to come here is because it is a family place and a good place for good players to showcase their skills.
‘Another factor is because the conversations I had with [Hansi Flick] were positive. What he did last season was terrific.
‘To lead such a young team to a very successful season and come back to pre-season and still want to do more, it shows me everything I thought I knew about the club and it’s everything I wished.
‘I’m eager to learn the Barcelona way.’
Rashford left a Manchester United side who finished just 15th in the Premier League last season and have made a poor start to the new campaign.
United are in ‘no man’s land’, according to Rashford, who has called on the club to ‘make a plan and stick to it’ following more than a decade of stagnation.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Rashford said: ‘You see it with any team that’s been successful over a period of time: they have principles that any coach that comes in, any player that comes in, has to align to these principles or be able to add to these principles.
‘Whereas at times I feel like United have just been: we’re hungry to win, so we’ll always try to adapt and to sign players that fit this system. But it’s reactionary.
‘If your direction’s always changing, you can’t expect to be able to win the league. Yeah, you might win some cup tournaments, but it’s because you do have a good coach and you do have good players and you have match winners in your team – you’re not there by accident.
‘We’ve been way below where we deem United to be. But then if you take a step back, which I’ve been able to do, especially over the last six months – what do you expect?
‘People say we’ve been in a transition for years. To be in a transition, you have to start the transition. So it’s like the actual transition’s not started yet.
‘To start a transition, you have to make a plan and stick to it. So this is the thing that I feel – it’s not easy. Because if it’s not going well, the fans demand [change].
‘But this is where I speak about being realistic with what your situation is. I feel like we’ve had that many different managers and different ideas and different strategies in order to win … you end up in the middle of – you end up in no man’s land.’
Rashford started England’s World Cup qualifying win over Andorra on Saturday before being subbed off by Thomas Tuchel in the second half.
Barcelona return to La Liga action this weekend against Valencia. The reigning La Liga champions have seven points from a possible nine after three games.
Hansi Flick’s side won a domestic treble last season while reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League.
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