Rio Ferdinand gives verdict on Marcus Rashford’s pending Barcelona transfer

Marcus Rashford is on the verge of leaving Manchester United for the second time in as many transfer windows after the club agreed a loan deal with Barcelona last week

Rio Ferdinand has expressed his disappointment over Marcus Rashford’s latest move away from Manchester United as the forward closes in on a transfer to Barcelona.

Rashford, 27, has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford and spent the second half of the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Aston Villa. The England star is now poised to seal a dream move to Barcelona, who have agreed terms on a season-long loan deal with an option.

Before rediscovering his form during his stint at Villa, Rashford had struggled in a United shirt and looked far from his best.

And while a fresh start abroad should do the talented attacker the world of good, Ferdinand still thinks its a shame that he is leaving Manchester United.

The former United defender has also questioned the circumstances behind his exit, speculating that there is more to Rashford’s situation than meets the eye.

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Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand said: “There must have been so much going on behind the scenes that we’re just not aware of. And Marcus isn’t someone who really wants to talk and do interviews, so you have to respect that.

“But I’m sure it’ll come out in the wash at some point. Is it because of a lack of form? A lack of confidence? Mismanagement? Have the club failed him? Or is it down to him? Is there injuries we don’t know about? Has he lost that desire? That form is gone and he can’t rekindle it and can’t get it back?

“What are the issues that have led to a young kid that’s a graduate of the academy at Manchester United, which is famous for all of the great players that have come through there, that he says he wants to leave?”

Rashford arrived in Spain on Sunday night to put the finishing touches to his move to Barcelona, who will have a £26million option to buy the forward outright which becomes active next summer.

The player’s desire to join the Spanish giants has been well documented and he even hinted as much during a recent appearance on a Spanish YouTube channel, XBuyer. When they asked if wanted to play alongside Lamine Yamal, Rashford replied: “Yeah, sure. Everybody in the world wants to play with the best. So hopefully, we’ll see.”

He went on to add: “Spain is nice, it’s not too far from home. If I’m training over a long period, my family can come for a few days, it’s a nice location and good weather.”

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