Unai Emery and Aston Villa have reportedly made a joint decision regarding the future of Marcus Rashford, currently on loan from Manchester United.
Rashford, who struggled for consistent game time under Ruben Amorim at United, was often left out of matchday squads due to concerns over his attitude and training application. With his January exit looking inevitable, the England forward was eventually loaned to Villa following interest from several European clubs.
Villa, at Emery’s request, signed both Rashford and Marco Asensio after the sale of Jhon Duran to the Saudi Pro League. Both players have impressed at Villa Park, with Asensio scoring eight goals and Rashford contributing three goals and five assists in his time at the club.
While Villa do not have an option to buy Asensio at the end of his loan from PSG, they do have a £40 million purchase option for Rashford. According to a report from The Sun, both Emery and the Villa board are aligned in wanting to make Rashford’s loan move permanent.
Emery is reportedly confident that Rashford’s mindset is in the right place and believes that signing him would be a step forward for the club. The report suggests Villa are keen to make Rashford’s current arrangement permanent but whether they will exercise their £40 million option or negotiate a new deal with United remains to be seen.
The presence of other suitors, including PSG — who are reportedly back in the race for Rashford, according to L’Equipe — may force Villa to pay the full asking price. However, the main hurdle in the deal could be Rashford’s current £300,000-a-week salary at United. Villa are hopeful that Rashford may be willing to accept a pay cut to secure a move that could rejuvenate his career with both the club and the national team.
Despite Rashford’s solid performances at Villa Park, former England goalkeeper Ben Foster has voiced concerns about a permanent move for the forward. On his Fozcast podcast, Foster questioned Rashford’s suitability for Emery’s style of play, particularly his inability to hold the ball up as a lone striker.
“I don’t know if Rashford is going to be the answer,” Foster said. “When he came on in the Nottingham Forest game, they were 2-0 up, and I thought, ‘What would Rashford’s objectives be here?’ I think Emery would’ve wanted him to hold the ball up, get it down, and bring the team forward. But there were times when they went long to him, and he wasn’t willing to battle for the ball — it just kept coming back.”
While Rashford’s future at Villa remains uncertain, Emery’s support and Villa’s growing interest make his permanent move a distinct possibility.
