FC Barcelona have made some solid reinforcements to the team so far in the summer transfer window, bringing in a new goalkeeper in Joan Garcia from RCD Espanyol, signing a developmental bet like Roony Bardghji, and closing in on the arrival of Marcus Rashford.
The English attacker is joining Barcelona on a loan deal with an option to buy and looks to resurrect his career in Spain. The last couple of seasons have been very poor for the 27-year-old left-winger, and a fresh start could be the solution.
Now, as per Mundo Deportivo, Rashford is set to become the 10th player to wear the jerseys of both Barcelona and Manchester United. The previous 9 names include some legendary players, and the Englishman will be hoping to add to that list.
An iconic list
The first crossover ever between the two clubs was Welsh striker Mark Hughes. He spent a solitary year at Barcelona sandwiched between two stints at Manchester United, and it is fair to say that his legacy is much bigger at Old Trafford than it is at Camp Nou.
Jordi Cruyff, son of legendary Barcelona icon Johan Cruyff, who also served as the sporting director recently, came through the ranks at the Catalan club and spent a couple of seasons at Barcelona before moving to Old Trafford.
Laurent Blanc was the next footballer, spending one season at Barcelona and then hanging up his boots playing for Man Utd. Henrik Larsson, a 2006 Champions League hero, spent two seasons in Spain and a six-month loan stint in Manchester.
The next name, who is a Barcelona legend in every right, is Gerard Piqué. He came through the ranks at La Masia before moving on to Manchester United for a short developmental stint. Pep Guardiola brought him back to Spain in his first season, and the rest is history.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the next name to join this illustrious list. He spent a solitary season at Barcelona, where he didn’t see eye-to-eye with Pep Guardiola, and much later in his career, towards the fag end, he played a season and a half at Old Trafford.
Alexis Sanchez followed next. A huge success at Barcelona and an even bigger one at Arsenal subsequently, the Chilean’s next move was to Man Utd, which ended up being a total disaster. Victor Valdes was yet another player who had a much better time in Spain than he did in England.
The ninth player on the list is Memphis Depay. The Dutchman struggled during his stint at Old Trafford, but he came to Barcelona as a free transfer after a stint in Ligue 1 and ended up having quite a solid impact before moving on to Atletico Madrid.
With Rashford now becoming the 10th player to wear the jerseys of the two clubs, he will be hoping to leave a lasting legacy that is similar to the likes of Pique on this list. It is too early to call all that, though, and let’s wait and see how he fares on his loan stint.
