Marcus Rashford dreamed of playing at Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium ahead of his season-long loan move to the Catalan giants, but that scenario could be at risk after a new update emerged.
The 27-year-old forward, who joined Barca from Manchester United this summer on an initial 12-month loan deal, grew up watching La Liga and fell in love with Barcelona and the Camp Nou.
That's according to a report from Spanish journalist Guillem Balague, who penned a lengthy piece on Rashford's arrival in July.
Rashford's desire to represent Barcelona and play on the hallowed Camp Nou turf was seemingly apparent in the build-up to his move. Speaking to Gary Neville last year, he spoke about the stadium.
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“Atmosphere-wise, I’d probably say I enjoyed Nou Camp,” Rashford said after being asked which is his favourite stadium.
He added: “Once they got the first goal, the crowd was different. Every time Messi got on the ball it was daunting and the crowd were shouting to make the backline nervous. It was all a mess after they scored the first goal.”
Unfortunately for Rashford, renovations to the stadium have stopped him from playing in front of 105,000 fans on a regular basis.
And earlier this week, the much-anticipated Camp Nou return was delayed again, with the club confirming that they will play their first home match of the season at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, a 6,000-capacity stadium next to their training ground.
Questions continue to be raised over whether Barca will play at their beloved home this season.
A report from The Athletic suggests the stadium is 'a long way from being fully finished', with Barcelona city council sources claiming the club has still not applied for the licenses they need to open the ground.
Barca announced in June that it would make its long-awaited return on August 10 for the Joan Gamper Trophy, their annual pre-season event.
However, the club confirmed in a statement that it has not been able to comply with the requirements laid out by the regulations governing the licence.
Reports in Spain suggested a return date of September 14 for their La Liga clash against Valencia was being targeted but five days before that game and Barcelona confirmed the game will be hosted at the Estadi Johan Cruyff.
"Absolutely rubbish" - rumours over Marcus Rashford future squashed by journalist
Earlier this month, a report from Spanish outlet El Nacional claimed Barcelona are considering sending Rashford back to Manchester United.
It was suggested that those behind the scenes at Barca have been left unimpressed with his start to life at the club, describing him as "shy, imprecise and lost" on the pitch.
But journalist Guillem Balague played down those suggestions.
"Absolutely rubbish that Barcelona is planning to end up early @MarcusRashford loan deal," he said on X. "Barça told his representative that they have a lot of confidence in Rashford’s potential and that they believe he will recover as a top player."
Balague added: "No more to say, apart from the fact I agree with Gary Lineker and his treatment by some media."
Topics: Barcelona, Marcus Rashford, La Liga, Transfers, Man Utd
Jack Kenmare