Barcelona ‘not a pressure’ for on-loan Rashford

Marcus Rashford says he finds nothing at Barcelona “a pressure” and is enjoying a “new language of football” as he continues to thrive since his move from Manchester United.

The England forward, 28, joined the Spanish club on loan in the summer following a difficult period at Old Trafford, spending the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa.

His move to La Liga has so far been a success, scoring six goals and making eight assists in 21 appearances.

“I don’t see anything here as like a pressure. It’s just, I’m here to play football,” Rashford told BBC Sport.

Rashford, who revealed Barcelona were his “favourite club outside of England” as a child, said he is taking time to immerse himself fully in the lifestyle while living in the Spanish city.

Speaking to BBC Sport after his first Barcelona community event at a local school, he said: “It’s different, but it’s a great learning curve for me.

“And even little things, I’ve not done it completely yet, but learning the language and stuff like that, learning the culture, it’s all enjoyable for me.”

Rashford scored 138 goals in 426 matches for United since making his debut for the club in 2016 and won five major trophies.

However, he fell out of favour at his boyhood club after being dropped by manager Ruben Amorim, leading to a short-term move to Premier League rivals Villa, before joining Barca on an initial 12-month loan in July.

His impressive loan spell at Villa Park caught the eye of England manager Thomas Tuchel earlier this year, and now Rashford has found himself back in the squad after losing his place under former boss Gareth Southgate following his drop in form at United.

Barcelona, who have won La Liga 28 times, have the option of signing Rashford on a permanent basis for £30.3m (35m euros) in 2026. For his part, Rashford has said he would like to stay.

“It’s a new language of football,” said Rashford. “I’ve always been, like many people in the world, an admirer of Spanish football.

“To play for the biggest club in Spain is a huge honour. I’m looking forward to playing more games here, just doing my best and try to help the team to win.”

Rashford’s performance in Tuesday’s 2-1 Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt, in which he came off the bench and provided an assist for Jules Kounde, brought praise from the Spanish media.

And with Barca four points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga after securing five league wins in a row, Rashford’s aim for the rest of the season is “simply just to win”.

“It’s a club that demands this,” he said.