A new face is set to be welcomed by FC Barcelona. Marcus Rashford is closer than ever to joining the La Liga giants on loan from Manchester United. The England forward arrived in Catalonia on Sunday night and has successfully completed his medical. Though an imminent announcement remains to be made by Joan Laporta-led corp, it seems like the fans in the city have already accepted him as their Culer, giving him a grand welcome like never before.

And by welcome, we mean actually painting him on their streets. Well, courtesy of a renowned Barcelona-based artist, Miki Noëlle, a mural has already appeared on a wall along a street in Catalonia. The striking artwork shows the Red Devils forward in the new Barcelona kit that Hansi Flick’s side will be wearing for the 2025-26 season.

Interestingly, the winger is depicted mid-celebration in his iconic knee-slide pose, with his right hand raised to his temple. He’s surrounded by a bold red flame outline, which strikingly adds a different level of intensity to the image. Just beside his face, a warm message reads: “Benvingut Rashford!” in Catalan, which in English translates to “Welcome, Rashford!”

Even though an official statement from the club is yet to be made, FC Barcelona fans are already getting busy with preparations to make the 27-year-old feel welcome. Quite surprising — and more importantly, a that-slid-in-quite-quickly moment — considering just a few weeks ago, a different name was echoing through the streets of Barcelona.

Nico Williams, to remind you all, was the top choice of the entire Barça community and the club’s board, with sporting director Deco in regular contact with Félix Tainta, the agent of the 23-year-old winger. However, per Fabrizio Romano, the 2024–25 La Liga champions’ well-documented “registration issues” ended up derailing the deal.

As a result, Williams ended up signing a long-term deal with Athletic Club until June 2035. In fact, as Fabrizio Romano reported, Nico’s new agreement includes a release clause that has risen by over 50% from the previous €58 million, not to mention a salary hike. So, even if Barça hopes to revisit the move in the future, they’ll need to spend a fortune.

Luckily, enter Rashford, who turns out to be a much cheaper alternative as support for Yamal. Speaking of which, if Barca fans are looking to thank the person for this impending transfer, they should be grateful to the protagonist himself!

Hansi Flick wants Marcus Rashford ASAP!

One should note that the Manchester United academy graduate is taking a significant pay cut (25%) to join Barcelona. In fact, the winger was more than willing to do so, making it clear that he was eager to arrive and play for the Spanish side. Not to mention, the former United No. 10 joins after concluding a loan spell at Aston Villa in the second half of last season.

But with the new season on the horizon, it’s clear that Rashford is eager to invest his time in a fresh challenge. And the MBE-recognized star isn’t the only one keen to get started — Barcelona boss Hansi Flick is equally eager to integrate him into the squad. According to ESPN, the former Bayern Munich boss hopes to have Rashford join the team as they fly to Asia on Thursday for their preseason tour of Japan and South Korea, giving him as much time as possible to settle in before the regular season kicks off in August.

And yes, we don’t yet know which jersey number Rashford will wear at the club. But one can assure it certainly won’t be the No. 10 he sports at Manchester United. Then again, so far, what we have witnessed is nothing but a beautifully painted art of Marcus Rashford in Barcelona. Moreover, he is yet to be registered by the club in La Liga, something which many are scared of, as the Catalans could face trouble again. Let’s hope that’s not the case as fans patiently await Wednesday to see him get officially presented as a Culer.

Excited? Let us know in the comments.