"It's a crazy story. I'm happy for him," Pogba said of Rashford's transfer on 20/7. "Man Utd stripped him of his shirt and lost a great player. It's bad for them, but great for Barca."

Rashford (left) and Pogba during their time at Man Utd in 2019. Photo: Reuters

Rashford (left) and Pogba during their time at Man Utd in 2019. Photo: Reuters

Rashford rose through the academy ranks before making his Man Utd debut in 2015. The 27-year-old forward scored 138 goals in 426 appearances for the "Red Devils" and 17 goals in 62 appearances for England. During the 2022-2023 season, under former manager Erik Ten Hag, Rashford reached peak form at Man Utd, scoring 30 goals in 56 games.

However, he had to leave Man Utd due to a conflict with manager Ruben Amorim in 12/2024. The Portuguese manager once stated he would rather field the 63-year-old goalkeeper coach than the 27-year-old forward.

Playing on loan at Aston Villa during the second half of the 2024-2025 season, Rashford displayed positive form, scoring four goals and providing five assists in 17 games. However, due to their failure to qualify for the Champions League, Aston Villa declined to buy the English forward.

On 19/7, Man Utd agreed to loan Rashford to Barca for one season with a buyout clause set at 35 million USD. To facilitate the transfer, Rashford accepted a salary reduction from 21 million USD to 16.3 million USD per season. He will be the fifth-highest earner at Barca, behind Robert Lewandowski (24.2 million USD), Frenkie De Jong (22.1 million USD), Lamine Yamal (19.4 million USD) and Raphinha (17 million USD).

In addition to Rashford, Man Utd is also prepared to release Antony, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho, and Tyrell Malacia. These players are either tactically unsuitable or have clashed with manager Amorim. Conversely, Man Utd has acquired Matheus Cunha and reached an agreement to buy Bryan Mbeumo. The total expenditure for the two forwards, who performed well at Wolves and Brentford last season, is 189 million USD.

"The new manager wants to impose his style of play," Pogba said about Amorim. "He's not wrong to distrust some players. Ultimately, Man Utd must win. If the team doesn't win and doesn't play well, they will fire him."

Pogba joined Man Utd from Juventus in 2016 for a then-record fee of 118 million. However, the 2018 World Cup winner never fully realized his potential at Old Trafford. During his six years with the "Red Devils," he scored 39 goals and provided 51 assists in 226 games, winning the Europa League and the League Cup before leaving on a free transfer.

In 2023, while playing for Juventus, Pogba tested positive for doping and received a four-year ban. His sentence was reduced at the end of 2024. Pogba recently signed with Monaco, who finished third in Ligue 1 last season and will participate in the 2025-2026 Champions League group stage.

Thanh Quy (according to MD)