Marcus Rashford has admitted last summer’s negotiations were not the first he had with Barcelona over a departure from Manchester United.
After returning from a six-month loan with Aston Villa, Rashford rebuffed all other approaches as he chased a switch to Barcelona, who eventually agreed to their own temporary deal with United which includes the option to make the move permanent for a reported €30 million (£26.1 million, $34.8 million).
The agreement brought an end to a lengthy transfer saga which, according to Rashford, was actually going on behind the scenes for a lot longer than publicly known.
“I just believe that things happen when they’re supposed to happen,” Rashford told ESPN.
“It’s not the first time I spoke with Barcelona about potentially coming here, but for whatever reasons it didn’t happen in the past and now is my opportunity to make it happen. I feel like there’s no time like the present now. So I just take things day to day.
“The key thing for me is just to continue to improve because when you retire, you’re going to miss everything—the good stuff, the bad stuff—you're going to miss it about the sport.
“Every day I just take it day by day and just try to improve from the day before.”
Rashford Hopeful of Sealing Permanent Transfer to Barcelona
Barcelona are under no obligation to sign Rashford permanently next summer and are not expected to make a decision on his future until later in the season.
That being said, his performances during the early months of his tenure will likely work in his favour as he fights to earn a permanent move. In 12 appearances across all competitions, Rashford has racked up five goals and six assists, primarily operating as a left winger but filling in both on the right and as a central striker.
“It was so many years in one place,” Rashford reflected. “People forget this, but 24 years, 23 years of my life was with Manchester United. So sometimes you just need a change. I think maybe this is the case with me and yeah, I’m enjoying everything.
“For sure [I want to stay]. I’m enjoying this football club and I think for anybody who loves football, Barcelona is one of the key clubs in the history of the game. For a player is an honour.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Marcus Rashford Reveals Previous Barcelona Transfer Talks Before Loan Exit.