Manchester United and Aston Villa have shaken hands on an agreement that will see Marcus Rashford make a loan move to Villa Park for the remainder of the season – and he could even stay beyond then.
The Manchester Evening News report that Villa are prepared to shell out a loan fee while taking on the lion’s share of Rashford’s hefty £325,000 weekly wage packet.
The Villans have also secured an option to convert the loan into a permanent transfer when the summer window rolls around.
At 27 years old and hot in the January transfer market following the sale of Jhon Duran to Al Nassr for a cool £64million, Rashford found himself very much in demand.
Negotiations had already been held with clubs including Tottenham, West Ham, and the Catalan giants Barcelona, although the latter seemed reluctant to rush through a loan deal before the close of the current window.
The MEN dropped the scoop on Saturday morning, indicating Rashford was edging toward a short-term stint with the Midlands outfit.
The potential move will offer Rashford his first taste of Champions League knockout football since United met Atletico Madrid back in 2022.
Currently sitting in a comfortable eighth position in the Premier League and outstripping United by eight points, Villa represent a promising prospect for Rashford.
The England star has welcomed the offer from Villa, which conveniently allows him to remain in his current residence and commute to Bodymoor Heath for training.
United, on their part, have been eagerly awaiting a formal bid for Rashford since he declared his ambition for a “new challenge” more than a month ago – a revelation made just two days after being omitted from the squad for United’s dramatic derby victory over City on December 15.
Rashford’s struggles at United have intensified, with the forward missing out on the last 12 games and being included in just one match-day squad during this period.
His most recent outing for the club was met with jeers from some United supporters during an away game against Viktoria Plzen on December 12.
To add to his woes, head coach Ruben Amorim made a bold statement last week, claiming he would prefer to field his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach, Jorge Vital, over Rashford or any player who fails to deliver their “maximum” effort in training sessions.
However, Amorim appeared to soften his approach later in the week, emphasising that Rashford needed to “change” to earn his way back into the team.
In a twist of fate, Villa’s urgent search for a new striker has paved the way for a swift agreement between the Premier League clubs.
Meanwhile, United have been active in the transfer market, securing young defender Ayden Heaven from Arsenal on Saturday, and are on the verge of finalising a deal for left-back Patrick Dorgu, who is currently undergoing a medical ahead of his transfer from Lecce.
