'I think I know why Barcelona didn't sign Marcus Rashford

Since returning to Manchester United in January, Michael Carrick has been careful with his answers on Marcus Rashford. But following Rashford's return to pre-season training, Carrick has been much more open.

"He's our player, you know, and he's come back great. He's just like any other player," Carrick told ITV Sport on Wednesday. "I've known Marcus a long time and, you know, he gives us something a little bit different. And he's been in great spirits since he's been back.

"He's been back two or three days training and it's just pretty normal, to be honest. And we're looking forward to the start of the season."

When the 28-year-old joined Barcelona last summer there looked to be no way back for him at Old Trafford. Rashford wanted to move to the Nou Camp after the initial fallout with Ruben Amorim in December 2024. Barca asked the question, but eventually pulled the plug and Aston Villa swooped in.

However, a change of heart last year secured Rashford his dream loan move to Spain. "I don't think he was seen as this player who would make a massive impact," La Liga Expert founder Mark Sochon told MEN Sport. "Obviously he’d been in and out at United for a couple of seasons, so I think the points were that he'd be a good squad player, see what he could do.

"There weren't any expectations that he was going to come in and be an absolute world-beater. People knew that he was a talented player, that there was something there that could be unlocked if it clicked. I don't think he was seen as ‘this guy's disruptive or problematic’. That wasn't really the reaction, from what I recall. I think the thoughts were more about what could he contribute football-wise? Was he one of those players where maybe his best days were behind him, even though obviously he's not that old, but he’d had a couple of difficult years.

"He wasn’t really seen as a guy who's going to come in and fall out with the manager and, to be fair, I think Barcelona, compared to Real Madrid anyway, is quite settled. [Hansi] Flick is a pretty good man-manager. So I don't think there was any sort of worries about that specifically."

Rashford went on to bag 14 goals and 14 assists for the Spanish giants, including standout performances against Newcastle in the Champions League and Real Madrid. Despite his healthy goal return, Rashford was not considered for a centre-forward role at Barcelona.

"There was a spell during the second half of the season where Robert Lewandowski was injured, Ferran Torres wasn't really scoring any goals and Flick picked Dani Olmo as a false nine, rather than play Rashford down the middle," Sochon explained. "At that moment, you could sense he really didn't fancy him as a striker.

"They signed him maybe with the idea that he'd be a versatile player that could play both flanks and then potentially as a striker, but I think Flick basically saw him as a left winger. That was his main role."

As the season drew to a close, Sochon admits there was a feeling in Spain, as much as in England, that Barcelona would activate the £26m buy clause in his contract. And yet, they chose to let that clause expire and instead signed Anthony Gordon from Newcastle for a £69.3m fee.

"I think there was, I'd say late last season, kind of an assumption it probably would happen," he said. "But with Barca, you’re never quite sure because of their financial restraints, although they've clearly spent a little bit, they're always there.

"I think the main factor, for me, why they probably haven't gone through with it is Raphinha's impact on and off the ball is so great that whenever he was missing, there was something lacking from the team. They had a couple of rocky spells when he was out. I’m not saying that was Rashford's fault at all, but I think they looked at Anthony Gordon and thought he's someone who can maybe replicate that a bit more, give them that energy and attack, lead the press a bit more.

"It was a signing that came a bit out of the blue really. I think there are a fair few who questioned the logic of spending that much on Gordon.

"But I think you also look at Rashford being three years older. I think you could argue as well that it possibly didn't make sense for them if they've got sort of limitations in their budget. My reading is what I said before that, I think, maybe Flick was just not quite convinced that he offers enough off the ball.

"They look at Lamine Yamal on the right, Rashford on the left and maybe thought that's not quite what they need in terms of off the ball, those defensive contributions, whereas maybe they look at Gordon and think he can do that."

Plenty of question marks surround Rashford as he embarks on this new chapter at Old Trafford. Some concerns remain about his reintegration and the fact Barcelona chose to pass up on the opportunity to sign him permanently.

However, Sochon believes United fans should be optimistic about the academy graduate's return to his boyhood club. "No, I don't think they should be concerned," he concluded. "The overall impression would be that he had a pretty good spell at Barcelona. He couldn't have done a great deal more, but maybe it wasn't quite the right feel.

"There wasn't like a natural place for him in the first XI, so I think overall United fans should be thinking that he's a player that's getting towards what he used to be. I saw a fair bit of him in the previous season. I felt like he stepped up another gear when he went to Barcelona.

"If they can get the reintegration right and his heart's in it, I would say, from his time at Barcelona, that United fans should be fairly encouraged. I'd have thought he'd be a player who should be able to offer something this season for United if he stays."

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