BARCELONA – Marcus Rashford said Barcelona was a club where "dreams come true" as he joined the La Liga champions on Wednesday on a season-long loan from Manchester United with an option to buy.

Media reports said that Barcelona would cover the England forward’s wages this season after he accepted a pay cut, with the option to buy set at around €30 million for the 27-year-old.

"Very excited. I think it's a club where people's dreams come true. They win big prizes. And what the club stands for really means a lot to me as well. So it feels like I am at home," Rashford said at his unveiling.

"Another factor is because the conversations I had with the manager (Hansi Flick) were positive. What he did last season was terrific.

"To lead such a young team to a very successful season and come back to pre-season and still want to do more, it shows me everything I thought I knew about the club and it's everything I wished."

Once seen as a club icon and homegrown star, Rashford had a fall from grace at United, marked by a falling out with manager Ruben Amorim that paved the way for him to move to Aston Villa on loan in February.

"(United) is in a period of change and they have been for a while. I don't have anything bad to say as it has been an important part not just of my career but my life, so I was grateful for the opportunity," he added.

"But like life not everything goes as simple as you thought and this is my next chapter and I'm fully focused on improving myself and helping the team win trophies."

The move came after Rashford, who made 426 senior appearances and scored 138 goals for United in all competitions, fell out of favour with Amorim, who called his workrate into question.

United issued a statement wishing Rashford well as they announced the deal with Barcelona.

It remains to be seen when he will make his Barca debut.

The club have cancelled their pre-season friendly match against Vissel Kobe in Japan, citing contractual breaches by the promoter, while their two scheduled friendlies in South Korea are also at risk of suspension.

They were scheduled to play Japanese side Vissel Kobe on Sunday, while they are due to play South Korea’s FC Seoul on July 31 and Daegu FC on August 4.

Meanwhile, Liverpool completed the signing of striker Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday for a reported £69 million as the Premier League champions continued their summer spending spree. REUTERS, AFP

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