Author: Dídac Peyre. Date: 05 Feb 2026 (updated 11:15). Six months ago Marcus Rashford spoke openly about needing personal happiness to perform at his best. At that time he was still settling in — staying at the Torre Melina hotel — and was getting to know the club, finding support in young teammate Roony Bardghji and praising coach Hansi Flick’s methods. He also emphasized the importance of learning Spanish quickly.
Now Rashford has established himself in Castelldefels, is taking Spanish lessons and has validated Barcelona’s decision to take him on loan with stats: 10 goals and 10 assists, making him the third first‑team player to reach double figures this season. He has built rapport with players such as Araujo and former Premier League colleagues at the club — Tek, Eric and Raphinha — and reports from England say he is comfortable playing a less central role than he did at Manchester United.
The Telegraph points to the reduced individual pressure at Barça as a major factor in his adaptation: when results go wrong, not everything is pinned on him as it often was at United. Rashford accepted from the outset that he would not be the sole focal point in attack while Raphinha was in top form. A muscular injury to Raphinha and Flick’s desire to pair them in the same starting eleven gave Rashford a boost early on; after Raphinha’s return, Rashford has also been influential coming off the bench.
Over the months he has shown he can deliver figures in good, bad and average games. He tends to produce flashes of brilliance rather than full‑scale dominant performances. His two main on‑field challenges since arriving have been to be decisive in tight spaces and to maintain consistency in the front line of pressing. He has improved in both areas, but Flick wants more: the coach believes Rashford still has untapped potential beyond what he is currently offering.
Life off the pitch has been crucial for his output. Rashford is very comfortable in Castelldefels and has shared images from La Cúpula Garraf, a restaurant that has become a squad favourite. He has taken to paella and discovered some local flavours, noting differences between the paella eaten in the city centre and the dishes where he lives. He has also enjoyed fishing on the coast and in the delta of the Llobregat, a pastime he already practised with his brothers in the Lake District, and he has found padel as another way to disconnect from football.
In England they recall that he remains a big Manchester United fan — he watches all their matches and stays in touch with many players — but a return would be surprising. There is talk of Michael Carrick’s interest, who is currently interim in United’s dugout and could be back from June, and Barcelona still intends to try to sign Rashford in June, although the changed situation at United could affect those plans.
In short, six months into his time in Catalonia Rashford has settled both on and off the field: he is adapting to a new role, working on technical and tactical details and keeping some of his familiar habits from England.