Since Marcus Rashford’s arrival to Barcelona, the English forward has not only met expectations but exceeded them, winning over the blaugrana faithful with decisive performances week after week. 

His impact has been so significant that he has outshone established stars such as Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé and Real Madrid’s crown jewel, Vinícius Júnior.

Rashford’s Manchester United career appeared all but over following his fallout with Ruben Amorim, which saw him frozen out of the first-team squad before loan spells at Aston Villa and subsequently Barcelona. 

Now, the 28-year-old is enjoying a dream season, producing numbers that rival — and in some cases surpass — leading attackers across the Premier League and La Liga.

Goals and assists comparison:

Rashford – 18 G/A

Vinícius Júnior – 16 G/A

Dembélé – 14 G/A

Bukayo Saka – 12 G/A

Bryan Mbeumo – 10 G/A

Rashford has also addressed a long-standing gap in Barça’s game. The club had not scored a Champions League free-kick since Lionel Messi’s iconic strike against Liverpool on May 1, 2019 — a void left in the aftermath of Messi’s departure.

With Rashford’s contract running until 2028, Barcelona would need to pay £30m to make the move permanent. 

As things stand, the club have proposed Marc Casadó as a makeweight, while a return to Old Trafford has not been entirely ruled out.