Marcus Rashford Told He Can Steal Lamine Yamal’s Crown as Barcelona’s Best Player — Man Utd Loanee Backed to Make His Own Legacy

Marcus Rashford, Lamine Yamal & the Battle to Become Barcelona’s New Leading Light

When Marcus Rashford boarded a flight to Catalunya in the summer of 2025, there was a sense of quiet uncertainty around him. Not hostility—not even skepticism—just a muted, collective shrug from the wider football world. A player who once felt destined to become the face of Manchester United, then the torchbearer for England’s attack, had faded into a frustrating chapter of inconsistency, criticism, and outright unhappiness at Old Trafford.

But football has a way of offering new doors when old ones slam shut. And Rashford, now 28, has walked through Barcelona’s door with the kind of renewed spark that has caught the attention of club legends, former teammates, and pundits across Europe. Among them is Dwight Yorke, a man who knows a thing or two about reinventing yourself at the right moment.

Yorke’s message is simple and bold: Marcus Rashford can steal Lamine Yamal’s crown and become Barcelona’s best player.

Lost Spark: Why Marcus Rashford Finds Himself at Barcelona

From Old Trafford Uncertainty to Barcelona Rebirth

Manchester United’s summer of 2025 reshuffle wasn’t kind to Rashford. The club made it clear—directly or indirectly—that he was not part of the long-term plan. Even a positive, energetic loan spell at Aston Villa the previous season wasn’t enough to reset perceptions.

There was no fresh slate at Old Trafford, no warm welcome, no reassurance. What Rashford needed was a genuine new beginning, not another polite promise that things might improve if he just waited long enough.

So he left. And not quietly.

Barcelona may have been an unexpected destination, but it was also the boldest and most liberating one available. A move to LaLiga meant adapting to a different pace, different tactical expectations, and a different footballing culture. But it also meant joining a team filled with young talent, technical creativity, and a fanbase desperate for a new attacking talisman.

In a squad featuring Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Robert Lewandowski, and others, Rashford wasn’t guaranteed anything. He had to earn it from day one.

And he has.

Six goals, eight assists, and an immediate influence across 16 appearances have made it clear: Rashford has rediscovered himself.

Or maybe, as Yorke suggests, he never truly lost himself at all.

Just Like Messi: Rashford Backed to Eclipse Lamine Yamal & Emulate Barcelona Icons

Marcus Rashford Barcelona 2025-26

Yorke: “He didn’t become a fantastic player at Barcelona — he has always been one.”

Dwight Yorke has never been shy with words, but his latest praise for Rashford comes with a sincerity that feels rooted not just in loyalty, but in genuine belief.

Speaking to Snabbare, the former United striker expressed disbelief that Barcelona have yet to activate the £35 million option to buy Rashford outright:

“I’m surprised they haven’t already paid that £35 million. He’s a really good player.”

Yorke sees not just potential, but revival—momentum, happiness, and clarity restored in Spain:

“There’s a whole saga around him. I think he became very unhappy at United. And if you’re unhappy, how can you perform?

He hasn’t suddenly become fantastic at Barcelona. He has always been fantastic.”

This is where the conversation turns truly intriguing.

Yorke believes that Rashford can rise above Lamine Yamal, Barcelona’s teenage wonderkid and perhaps the brightest young talent in world football right now.

“Apart from Lamine Yamal, he’s not going to have much competition.
Rashford is at his peak, and he can be the number one player here — even ahead of Yamal.”

It sounds outrageous on the surface, especially considering Yamal’s trajectory. But Yorke’s point is less about diminishing Yamal and more about maximising Rashford. Yamal is still 17. Rashford is entering his prime. One is building; the other is ready-made.

Yorke also places Rashford within the context of Barcelona’s pantheon of icons—Messi, Ronaldinho, Xavi, Iniesta, Romário—clarifying that Rashford does not yet belong in that bracket, but could very well carve out his own legacy if he stays long enough and commits fully.

“He’s got big boots to fill, but he can create his own legacy.”

The emphasis is intentional:
Rashford doesn’t need to be Messi. He just needs to be the best version of Rashford.

Barcelona, Happiness, and the Power of Environment

Why Rashford Looks Like a Different Player in LaLiga

The contrast in Rashford’s body language at Barcelona is striking.

At United, he often looked like a man playing with a weight strapped to his shoulders—frustrated, hesitant, sometimes even checked out. A player trapped by expectations but unable to find release.

In Barcelona, everything is lighter. He presses with purpose. He dribbles with confidence. He finishes with composure. His creative instincts—once dulled—now look sharp again.

Footballers often talk about the importance of being in a “happy place,” but rarely do we see such a dramatic shift simply from a change of environment.

Yorke captures it perfectly:

“If you’re unhappy, you’re not going to perform.
We now have a happy Rashford, and the rest is history.”

And perhaps more importantly:

“He has always been the most talented player in United’s ranks. Now he’s showing it.”

The suggestion is clear: Manchester United may regret letting him go.

Transfer Questions: Did Manchester United Make a Mistake?

Rashford, Garnacho, Antony… and Scott McTominay’s Twist

Rashford isn’t the only United player thriving away from Old Trafford. Alejandro Garnacho and Antony have both enjoyed upswings in form elsewhere.
And then there’s Scott McTominay—now a Serie A champion with Napoli.

Yorke believes United may already regret selling the Scotland international and sees no realistic route for a return:

“They’d have to pay serious money to get him back. It’d be difficult to admit a mistake.
But he wouldn’t solve their number six issue anyway.”

He’s right. McTominay would be a luxury, not a solution.

The problem, as Yorke sees it, is broader:
Manchester United keep letting players go before fully understanding whether the environment or the player was the issue. Rashford, in particular, feels like the biggest example of that pattern.

Spend Again: Amorim & United’s Ongoing Search for Stability

Liverpool v Manchester United – Premier League

Consistency Still Out of Reach at Old Trafford

Rúben Amorim has brought structure, discipline, and a clearer identity to United, but the squad remains a work in progress. A top-four push is back within reach, but consistency still eludes them.

The January window looms, and reinforcements feel essential—not optional.

Amorim needs a true defensive midfielder. He needs depth at centre-back. And depending on how the Rashford saga unfolds, he may need another wide forward too.

United’s project is moving forward, but still missing the decisive, ruthless transfer decisions that define title-winning rebuilds.

A New Chapter for Rashford — and a New Challenger for Lamine Yamal

Marcus Rashford didn’t travel to Spain to be a role player.
He didn’t go to be a squad addition or a symbolic signing.

He went to restart his career.
And now he finds himself on the cusp of something bigger.

Whether he can truly eclipse Lamine Yamal remains to be seen. Yamal is a generational talent, the face of Barcelona’s future.

But Rashford, as Yorke puts it, is at his peak.
And a player at his peak, in the right environment, with confidence restored, can be unstoppable.

Barcelona may soon belong to Yamal.
But Rashford?
He’s reminding everyone that he’s not done writing his story either.

And if he stays in Catalunya, he might just write the most exciting chapter yet.