Marcus Rashford tipped to match Lamine Yamal goals at Barcelona as ex-Man Utd star predicts success

James Holland 11 Aug 2025 10:38 PM

Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford, Barcelona

Marcus Rashford has officially joined Barcelona

Marcus Rashford has the attributes required to put up the same number of goals and assists as Lamine Yamal at Barcelona this season, according to a former Manchester United defender.

Rashford has joined Barcelona on an initial loan deal that includes an option for the LaLiga club to buy worth €30million (£26m). The forward prioritised a move to Barca after being told he was not needed at Man Utd, and he succeeded in getting that transfer after deals for fellow wingers Nico Williams and Luis Diaz fell through.

Williams left Barca stunned by penning a new 10-year contract with Athletic Club, while Diaz joined Bayern Munich from Liverpool.

Rashford might not have been the first choice for Hansi Flick’s side, but he has already made an impact in pre-season.

So far, he has registered one goal and two assists in four appearances. Rashford had very mixed fortunes during Barca’s 5-0 thrashing of Como on Sunday.

Wes Brown, who helped United win two Champions Leagues and seven Premier League titles, has now backed Rashford to succeed in Catalonia.

When asked if the 27-year-old has the ability to match Yamal’s goal contributions, Brown said (via Goal): “Marcus has got the experience to do that. Talent-wise, you have to say Yamal is a different breed. Marcus will try and match him in every way, talking about players in his own team.

“They play a little bit different. I’m sure Marcus will want to show everyone at Barcelona, and himself, what he can do.

“Comparing Yamal and Marcus, they are just a little bit different. Marcus is a bit older now, but you still look at how he is – how his physique is, how he plays his game, he’s still quick, very fit.

“He will be trying to do exactly what he did at Manchester United over the years. Yamal is an up-and-coming superstar, he’s got the ability that you don’t see often and he’s doing it at the highest level at the moment.”

The former centre-back added: “Yamal is unbelievable. He’s a talent that is in the [Lionel] Messi mould, the [Cristiano] Ronaldo mould. You can see it there. Will he do it for many years? You hope so.

“Raphinha as well, he has stepped up after leaving Leeds. We thought he was a good player but it was whether you can do it at that higher level.

“It’s a big challenge. There are really good individuals there. They will be excited about their season. Yamal, for me, is probably the brightest star among everyone.”

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It was initially speculated that Yamal might not get on well with Rashford. Indeed, some sections of the Catalan press claimed that he was ‘angry’ about the signing, feeling Barca had given up too easily in their pursuit of Williams.

Yamal is close friends with his fellow Spain star and was excited about the prospect of them playing alongside each other at club level.

But there seem to be no issues between Yamal and Rashford whatsoever. When joining the club, Rashford said Yamal was arguably ‘the best player in the world’ last season.

Yamal is still only 18 years old but is a serious candidate for the Ballon d’Or amid his rapid rise, which has seen him draw strong comparisons with Barca icon Messi.

It emerged on Thursday that Yamal and several other young members of the Barca squad have been starstruck by Rashford, having looked up to him during their academy days and played with him on FIFA.