According to a report from TBR, Marcus Rashford hasn’t ruled out a permanent move to Aston Villa. He is open to a return to the Birmingham-based club even if they fail to secure Champions League football for next season.
Rashford came up the ranks at Manchester United at some pace and got promoted to their first team at the start of 2016. He went from strength to strength with every passing season and became one of their mainstays in no time.
While he has been a consistent performer for them over the years, things haven’t been that great for him in recent seasons. He was struggling for form under Erik ten Hag and things went from bad to worse when the Dutch manager was replaced by Ruben Amorim mid-season.
The Portuguese manager wasn’t pleased with Rashford’s commitment and following a rift between the two, he was dropped from the squad. Eventually, they ended up sending him out on loan as he was surplus to requirements.
Aston Villa, who were on the lookout for more firepower, ended up securing his services during the winter transfer window. The move has certainly worked out in their favour as he has four goals and six assists in his 17 outings.
While there are still two games to go in the season, Rashford has already played the final game of his loan stint as he isn’t fit to take part in the Tottenham fixture and isn’t eligible to play against his parent club on the final matchday.
With his loan stint over, his future has now become a massive talking point. Villa are very pleased with his performances and would love to sign him permanently. They already have a £40 million buy clause which could be triggered to get a deal over the line.
Following Rashford’s impressive performances, United will stick to their valuation. While the English international has a long-standing desire to play in Spain and is keen on joining Barcelona, he remains open to a permanent switch to Villa.
His representatives have already held talks with people at the Spanish club. The Catalan giants’ sporting director, Deco and president Joan Laporta are massive admirers of the 27-year-old but he is not a priority target for them at this stage. The finances involved in signing him would require a significant effort from their end, even though Rashford seems willing to lower his wages.
Meanwhile, his camp have informed Villa that he is open to a return to the club, even though he hasn’t really made a commitment. They won’t need Champions League football to convince him to make a permanent switch. While he is set to return to his parent club, he is unlikely to have a future there and United seem more than willing to cash in on him.
