Rashford moved to Barcelona from Manchester United on a season-long loan.
Marcus Rashford had hoped to play at Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium before joining the Catalan giants on a season-long loan, but that dream may be jeopardised by a fresh update.
The 27-year-old forward, who signed a 12-month loan agreement with Barcelona from Manchester United this summer, grew up watching La Liga and fell in love with the club and the Camp Nou.
This is according to a story by Spanish journalist Guillem Balague, who wrote a comprehensive piece about Rashford’s arrival in July.
Rashford’s desire to represent Barcelona and play on the hallowed Camp Nou grass was evident in the lead-up to his transfer. When I chatted with Gary Neville last year, he mentioned the stadium.
“Atmosphere-wise, I’d probably say I enjoyed Nou Camp,” Rashford replied when asked about his favourite stadium.
He went on to say, “After they scored their first goal, the atmosphere changed. Every time Messi got the ball, the crowd screamed, making the backline anxious. “It was all a mess after they scored the first goal.”
Unfortunately for Rashford, stadium renovations have prevented him from performing in front of 105,000 people on a consistent basis.
And earlier this week, the much-anticipated return to Camp Nou was postponed once more, with the club stating that their first home game of the season will be played at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, a 6,000-capacity stadium adjacent to their training facility.
Questions remain over whether Barcelona will play at their beloved home stadium this season.
According to The Athletic, the stadium is ‘a long way from being totally constructed’, with Barcelona city council sources alleging the team has yet to apply for the licenses required to open the ground.
Barcelona confirmed in June that it would return on August 10 for the Joan Gamper Trophy, their traditional pre-season event.
However, the club revealed in a statement that it had been unable to meet the standards outlined in the licence regulations.
According to reports in Spain, a return date of September 14 for their La Liga match against Valencia was being considered, but five days before the game, Barcelona stated the game will be played at the Estadi Johan Cruyff.
“Absolutely rubbish”: speculations about Marcus Rashford’s future smashed by journalist
Earlier this month, Spanish magazine El Nacional reported that Barcelona is considering transferring Rashford back to Manchester United.
It was suggested that some behind the scenes at Barcelona were disappointed with his beginnings at the club, describing him as “shy, imprecise, and lost” on the pitch.
But journalist Guillem Balague dismissed the claims.
“Absolutely rubbish that Barcelona is planning to end up early @MarcusRashford loan deal,” he tweeted during the interview. “Barça told his representative that they have a lot of confidence in Rashford’s potential and that they believe he will recover as a top player.”
Balague went on: “No more to say, apart from the fact I agree with Gary Lineker and his treatment by some media.”
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