Marcus Rashford's Man Utd return blocked! Barcelona loan star still unlikely to make Old Trafford comeback despite Ruben Amorim sacking

Rashford joined Barcelona on loan in the summer and has gone on to enjoy a fine spell in Spain. He has thus far scored seven goals in all competitions, while also registering 11 assists, though his form has somewhat plateaued in recent weeks. In his last six La Liga outings, he has managed to provide just one assist. Now, The Sun has reported that the forward is unlikely to head back to England any time soon, particularly in the January transfer window, as the decisions to loan Rashford out, along with his team-mates Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana and Jadon Sancho, were not led by Amorim, and were instead made by the club's hierarchy. 

Rashford has revealed that he would love to remain at Barcelona given the option, as he bids to add trophies won in Spain to an already glittering cabinet.

He said: "What I want is to stay at Barca. It's the ultimate goal, but it's not the reason I'm training hard and giving my all. The purpose is to win. Barca is a huge, fantastic club, built to win titles."

Rashford was also asked about his early impressions of the city and how he has settled with the Spanish powerhouse, to which he replied: "I'm settling in really well at the club and in the city. From the moment I arrived, I felt very welcomed.

"For me, the reason I'm here is to help the team win trophies; last season was fantastic, but life moves very fast, things change, and the goal is to repeat those successes. I'm totally focused on that. Everything has been fantastic with the staff and my teammates; I have no complaints."

He added: "There is pressure here, but it's not negative pressure; it's the kind you crave as a player, the kind I want and have always wanted as a footballer. I can't be in a place where there aren't high expectations; for me, it's harder to stay motivated and give my best at a club where the demands aren't at their peak."

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Amorim infamously claimed that he would rather play a goalkeeping coach than Rashford during his time at the club when he explained why the England international was not playing.

He said: "The reason is the training, the way I see what footballers should do in training, in life. It’s every day, every detail. So if things don’t change, I will not change."

Amorim then suggested he would rather play United's then-63-year-old goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital than Rashford unless something changes, adding: "I prefer it like that. I will put (Jorge) Vital on than a player that don’t give the maximum every day. So I will not change in that department."

Hansi Flick, though, has hailed Rashford's attitude, saying: "When I talk to the players, I explain why they didn't play.

"When I tried to explain to Rashford why he wasn't a starter, he said: 'You don't need to explain to me.' The important thing is that the team wins and we get the three points. Nothing else matters. This is the right mindset and I'm glad it's with us."

Barcelona face Athletic Club in the Spanish Super Cup this week, as Rashford goes in search of his first piece of silverware at the Catalan club. Then, they face Real Sociedad in La Liga and Slavia Praha in the Champions League a few days later. The club are currently four points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.