“They’ll regret it hugely”: Ex-manager warns European giants against “mad” United loanee decision

Marcus Rashford gave Manchester United fans a glimpse of what they are missing on Sunday, 10 May, against Real Madrid in LaLiga. The Englishman left Old Trafford last summer following a strained relationship with former head coach Ruben Amorim to join Barcelona on a season-long loan. This weekend, Rashford was part of the Catalans’ starting XI that welcomed Los Blancos to Camp Nou. In the ninth minute of the game, the 28 year old stepped up to take a free-kick and buried the ball in the back of the net. It was the first free-kick goal scored by a Barcelona player in El Clasico since Lionel Messi in 2012, and set the mood as the hosts eventually picked up a 2-0 victory. The result secured the LaLiga title for the Catalans, Rashford’s second trophy since joining the club after the Supercopa de Espana triumph earlier this year. It has been a spectacular turn in fortune for a player deemed not good enough to play for United by Amorim. Rashford’s 2025/26 Season Rashford was first linked with a move to Camp Nou in January last year, after falling out of favour under the Portuguese head coach. The Englishman ended up joining Aston Villa on loan instead, but his impressive run at Villa Park was not enough to force a change of heart at the Theatre of Dreams. With United investing heavily in their attack, Rashford ended up joining Barcelona on a temporary basis, and it has turned out to be a masterstroke. The former Red Devils academy graduate has registered 14 goals and 14 assists in 47 appearances across all competitions for the Spanish champions, 24 of which were starts. Marcus Rashford Stats: 2025/26 Season CompetitionAppearancesStartsGoalsAssistsYellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played LaLiga3016892-1,582′ UEFA Champions League11554–579′ Copa del Rey4311–249′ Supercopa20—-32′ Total472414142-2,442′ Source: Transfermarkt. Despite Rashford’s form in Spain, a return to Old Trafford is reportedly no longer on the cards. The Catalans have an option to make the player’s stay permanent for €30 million at the end of this season, but recent reports suggest that the LaLiga giants are trying to get a deal done for a lower fee. Former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has now offered his thoughts on the matter. Barcelona will be mad to turn down Rashford Speaking to AS, Koeman said that Barcelona cannot pass on the opportunity to sign Rashford for a bargain fee this summer. He said: “If Barcelona let him return to Manchester United after this loan spell, I think they’ll regret it hugely.” “Because €30 million in today’s market for a player with these qualities, these stats, this experience… that’s a steal. Rashford causes teams real problems.” The Dutch manager went on to point out that Real Madrid had no answer to Rashford at the weekend, adding: “Madrid looked terrified every time he turned and ran. Against Real Madrid, he completely tore them apart on the counter-attack. The pace, the aggression, the directness, the confidence – Madrid couldn’t cope with him.” “Every time Barcelona pushed forward, he was the danger. He scores a free-kick in El Clásico, stretches the entire defensive line, creates numerical advantages, presses, gets in behind, and yet there are people within the club who hesitate to pay €30 million? That seems mad to me.” Final Thoughts Even if Barcelona opt against signing Rashford this summer, the player’s form suggests that he will not be short of suitors. United remain in the market for a speedy winger this year and funds raised from the Englishman’s departure could help them get a deal across the line. 1 – Marcus Rashford is the first Barcelona player to score a free-kick against Real Madrid since Lionel Messi in October 2012. Classic. pic.twitter.com/g14ynFmeTw — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 10, 2026 Featured image Denis Doyle via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.