Rashford to join elite group to play for Red Devils AND Barca! | OneFootball

Manchester United's Marcus Rashford is widely expected to complete a sensational loan move to Barcelona early this week after the Catalan club reached a provisional agreement with the player over the weekend.

The Red Devils have reportedly authorised the loan and Rashford is now in Spain to rubber stamp the deal.

If the 27-year-old joins Barcelona, it will mark an exciting new chapter for a player deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford by United boss Ruben Amorim.

Rashford showed glimpses of his best form on loan at Aston Villa during the second half of last season, and the forward appears to have done enough to convince Barcelona that he will add firepower to the squad of the reigning La Liga champions.

Should Rashford join the Catalan giants, he will become one of only 10 players to represent both Manchester United and Barcelona...and this article quickly runs down this exclusive list.

The NINE players to represent both Man Utd and Barca (pre-Rashford)

Mark Hughes (468 appearances for Man Utd, 37 for Barcelona) - After breaking into United's team under Ron Atkinson in the early 1980s, the Welshman's explosive shot and penchant for spectacular goals earned him a £2 million move to Catalonia in 1986, making him the most expensive British player to be sold abroad at that time. He struggled at the Nou Camp, however, netting only five goals before he was loaned to Bayern Munich. He returned to United in 1988/89 to help Alex Ferguson usher in a golden era at Old Trafford - scoring both of the Red Devils' goals in a 2-1 win over Barcelona in the 1990/91 Cup Winners Cup final.

Víctor Valdés (2 appearances for Man Utd, 536 for Barcelona) - An understudy to another Spaniard, David de Gea, during his time at Old Trafford, Valdes can console himself with the fact that he never lost a game for the Red Devils...although he never won one either: drawing against Hull and Arsenal in those two appearances!

Henrik Larsson (13 appearances for Man Utd, 59 for Barcelona) - He may not have played too much for either side, but Celtic legend Larsson certainly made an impact at both United and Barca, winning one Premier League and two La Liga titles, notably laying on two assists for the Spaniards when they beat Arsenal 2-1 to win the 2005/06 edition of the Champions League.

Jordi Cruyff (58 appearances for Man Utd, 54 for Barcelona) - The son of Dutch legend Johan Cruyff, Jordi certainly had a lot to live up to, but he managed to make 50+ appearances for both clubs, and actually managed to hit a creditable 11 goals in total for Barcelona.

Laurent Blanc (75 appearances for Man Utd, 38 for Barcelona) - An unmistakable figure at centre-back, with his laid-back air and rolled down socks, the 1998 World Cup winner arguably shone brighter on the international stage, also tasting success at Euro 2000. He won the Premier League with United in 2002/03, though, and tasted cup success with Barca: winning the Copa Del Rey in 1996/97.

Gerard Piqué (23 appearances for Man Utd, 616 for Barcelona) - One that got away for the Red Devils. Pique joined United's youth ranks from Barcelona in 2004, but returned to the Catalan club in 2008 and went on to win the lot. Nine La Liga titles and four Champions League wins, in addition to winning the World Cup and the Euros for Spain, constitutes a very good trophy haul! Pique has spoken fondly about his time at Old Trafford stating: "my time at Manchester United was a Masters degree in development both as a player and a person."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Man Utd, 46 for Barcelona) - The Swedish goal-scoring phenomenon enjoyed a glittering and enduring career that saw him grace many elite European teams, and 'Zlatan' strutted his stuff at both Old Trafford and the Nou Camp. Although he scored 22 goals in 46 appearances for Barca, his time in Spain is perhaps remembered most for his spats with manager Pep Guardiola. At United, Ibrahimovic showed that he could cut it in the Premier League with a goal ratio of more than a goal every two games, but a long-term knee injury derailed his United experience and he left to join LA Galaxy in 2018.

Alexis Sánchez (45 appearances for Man Utd, 141 for Barcelona) - Signed by Barcelona from Udinese in 2011/12, Sanchez starred for the Catalans for three seasons before enjoying three more highly-productive campaigns for Arsenal between 2014-2017. However, signed by Jose Mourinho, the Chilean's move to Old Trafford turned into a nightmare - the forward scoring only five goals in 45 games for the Red Devils, Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville declaring the signing "an absolute disaster".

Memphis Depay

(53 appearances for Man Utd, 42 for Barcelona) - Another player to have a hard time of it at United, Depay was signed by the Red Devils from PSV Eindhoven in June 2015 with plenty expected of the forward. However, the Dutchman hit only seven goals in 53 games for Louis van Gaal's side before he refound form and his goal-scoring touch with Lyon in Ligue 1. He later enjoyed two seasons with Barcelona, winning La Liga in 2022/23.