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- Rashford told to focus on running behind defenders
- Ferdinand says متحد loanee "doesn’t automatically start"
- Flick will want "something different" in attack
Ferdinand was sharing his thoughts on Rashford’s imminent loan switch to Barcelona. The deal includes an option-to-buy clause worth €30m (£26m/$35m). The ex-United defender said Rashford will have to “fight his way into this team”. The 27-year-old,who spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, can operate both through the middle, and off the left. Lewandowski bagged 42 goals as Barca’s No.9 last term, while Raphinha logged 59 goal contributions in 57 appearances from the left wing.
Ferdinand believes Rashford will have to fight for game time, but can carve out a niche for himself in Barca’s squad by offering something different to Hansi Flick’s incumbent starters. The pundit said Rashford’s most fruitful years at United came when he used his pace to make “aggressive runs” behind defenders; a skill he feels that Barca’s front three lacks.
Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel: “Where’s he going to play? He’s got to fight his way into this team. A lot of people, including myself, didn’t think this opportunity at Barcelona would actually be there for Marcus Rashford, given what he’s produced over the last two years. He hasn’t produced the Marcus Rashford that we first saw running in behind, aggressive runs, finishing things, shooting from crazy angles, assisting goals.”
The United legend continued: “His game has changed, wanting to dribble with the ball more. But what made him hard to play against was that he was willing to run behind. He’s magic at that when he gets that right and when he’s consistent with that. He could be that difference for this Barcelona team. Raphinha doesn’t mind running in behind, but he does like it to feet. Lamine Yamal would rather get it to feet and dribble. And Lewandowski is not someone who can run in behind as much anymore. He’s more of a target man, great finisher.
“Where he [Rashford] fits in won’t be is he going to start, it’s what’s the difference that he makes? I think Flick will be wanting that as well, ‘Give us something different to what we’ve already got’.n Raphinha on the left, Lewandowski up front, Lamine Yamal on the right. He doesn’t automatically start in this team, but he could go in there and be a huge impact and then get games off the back of that impact.n But Marcus doesn’t have to go in there and displace anybody. He’s got to go in there and add value to this team. Take them from where they finished last season, where they won the league, got to the semi-finals of the Champions League and go one better.’
Rashford is set to complete a medical on Monday, ahead of his official unveiling as a Barcelona player on Tuesday. Once the legalities and formalities are all tied up, the 27-year-old can start convincing his manager that he offers a point of difference in an already stellar attack.
