BARCELONA, Spain, (AFP) — Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford is on loan to Spanish champions Barcelona, for one year the club said Wednesday, with a future purchase option.

“Barcelona and Manchester United have reached a deal for the loan of the player Marcus Rashford until June 30, 2026,” announced the La Liga champions in a statement.

“The agreement also establishes an option to buy the English forward.”

Barcelona are paying around 75 per cent of Rashford’s £325,000-a-week wage (US$435,000) while he is at the club, with the player foregoing the rest, according to Spanish reports.

The 27-year-old England international was out of favour under Man United coach Ruben Amorim and spent the final months of the 2024/25 season on loan at Aston Villa.

Rashford, who made his United debut in 2015, became an outcast at Old Trafford, with Amorim publicly doubting his commitment and desire.

In May Barca coach Hansi Flick said Rashford and Liverpool winger Luis Diaz were “fantastic players” amid transfer links to both, with the club keen to reinforce on the left flank.

Last season the Catalans were irresistible in attack, winning a domestic treble, but had little in the way of back up for key wingers Raphinha and Lamine Yamal.

Rashford could also offer cover for veteran Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, who turns 37 in August.

Barcelona had hoped to sign Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams to play on the left wing but the Spaniard signed a new deal at the San Mames.

Rashford, who came through Manchester United’s academy, last played for the Premier League club in December, scoring 138 goals in 426 appearances for the Red Devils.

At Aston Villa he managed four goals in 17 games before a hamstring injury cut his season short in April.

Rashford was criticised by former Manchester United great Teddy Sheringham after trying to make the Barcelona switch happen in recent weeks.

“From my perspective, if you go from Manchester United to Barcelona, that’s a step up that he hasn’t deserved,” Sheringham told SkyBet.

Manchester United want to move on several more players this summer, including Antony, Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho.

Barcelona had trouble registering signings last season with La Liga, including midfielder Dani Olmo, and according to reports may need to find ways to balance the books before registering Rashford and their first summer arrival, goalkeeper Joan Garcia.

Few British players have joined Barcelona since the 1980s, when Gary Lineker, Steve Archibald and Mark Hughes all played for the club.

Current Bristol City midfielder Marcus McGuane signed for Barcelona’s reserve side in 2018, appearing once for the first team as a substitute in the Catalan Super Cup, before leaving in 2019 on loan to Telstar and eventually joining Nottingham Forest.

In the summer of 2019 Louie Barry moved to Barca’s youth academy from West Bromwich Albion but departed for Aston Villa in January 2020.