The justification for this shift in stance—less than six weeks ago, Deco explicitly named Rashford as a player Barcelona “liked”—is the preference for Liverpool forward Luis Díaz. The Colombia international is deemed to be more versatile, more experienced and more willing to sacrifice himself for the good of the team than Rashford.

With Nico Williams signing a new contract at Athletic Club and Liverpool rejecting interest in Diaz, Barcelona have shifted full focus to Rashford. What did Barcelona star Lamine Yamal say to his former teammate before his departure?

Marcus Rashford will not be joining Aston Villa on a permannt basis after the club confirmed they will not be taking up their £40m option to buy him from Manchester United