Marcus Rashford, who recently signed with Barcelona, revealed that a discussion with manager Hansi Flick played a key role in his decision to join the team. The 27-year-old has come on an initial loan from Manchester United for 12 months, with Barcelona having the option to permanently sign the England forward for £30.3m (35m euros) in 2026. He marks the first English signing for Barcelona since Gary Lineker in 1986, following the club’s league and cup double success last season. In an interview with the club’s website, the England international mentioned that Flick significantly influenced his choice to join Barcelona. “A key reason was the positive discussions I had with the coach (Hansi Flick).” His performance last season was outstanding. “Leading such a young team to a highly successful season and returning for pre-season eager to achieve even more demonstrates to me that everything I believed about the club is true, and it’s exactly what I hoped for.” Since debuting for Manchester United in 2016, Rashford has netted 138 goals in 426 appearances and has won five significant trophies.