Lionel Messi wants Man Utd starlet to join Barcelona as long-term replacement for teammate

Lionel Messi would welcome the summer arrival of Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford, according to reports in Spain.

Barcelona just won their eight La Liga title in the last eleven years and are on course to reach the Champions League final, as long as they eliminate Liverpool in the semi-finals.

It was United who suffered the blow in the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season. Messi and co were levels ahead of us in every department, so it will be intriguing to see how the Scousers get on against Ernesto Valverde’s men.

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But how different would Valverde’s side look with Rashford thrown into the mix? He didn’t perform particularly well against Barça this term, but Don Balon claim Messi is a fan and would like to have him at Camp Nou.

It is suggested that Rashford is seen by Messi and others at Barcelona as the ideal long-term replacement for Luis Suarez, as he would not demand to start every game immediately, unlike Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe – but that’s also because they’re better players!

And, in order to become a top striker at a top team like United and Barça, Rashford must become a 20+ goal per season striker. That’s when he can be trusted to lead the line and he’d probably find it a lot easier to achieve in Spain than England, but that’s an argument for another day.

Having Messi wanting you to join him at Barcelona is something, though. Not many 21-year-olds can say that about themselves.

To some, this would be like Liam Gallagher inviting you over for a proper party, Mia Khalifa wanting a sleepover, or Sir Alex Ferguson offering to give a one-on-one tour of Old Trafford with anecdotal stories.

Meanwhile, our friends at Caught Offside have done a piece on whether United should reconsider the future of Anthony Martial.

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