According to reports, Aston Villa are ‘close to agreeing’ a deal with Manchester United to sign wantaway forward Marcus Rashford.
The January transfer window shuts on Monday night so the clock is ticking for Rashford to secure a transfer after he announced his intention to leave Man Utd on New Year’s Eve.
Barcelona have consistently been mooted as his preferred destination, while AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and Napoli have also been linked.
However, his huge salary and poor form have been obstacles. He looked increasingly likely to remain at Man Utd beyond this window until Aston Villa moved to the front of the queue for his signature.
Unai Emery’s side joined the race to sign Rashford on Friday as the head coach has ‘personally requested’ this signing following Jhon Duran’s move to Al Nassr.
Now, The Athletic‘s David Ornstein has revealed that the two Premier League clubs are ‘close to an agreement’ and a ‘buy option’ is expected to be included in the deal.
READ: Ten blockbuster moves for the perfect end to the January transfer window
He explained:
‘Aston Villa are close to agreeing a deal to sign Marcus Rashford on loan from Manchester United.
‘The proposed move has not yet been finalised as some details still need to be ironed out between all parties.
‘Significant progress has been made though, with Villa moving to sort the financial terms, looking to satisfy United on salary coverage, and convince the player. The chance to play in the Champions League is an appeal for Rashford, with Unai Emery fully behind the approach. It is believed an option to buy will be agreed with Villa.
‘Villa are set to cover a significant portion of the forward’s wage alongside offering performance-related bonuses.
‘Villa manager Emery personally requested the club enter talks over Rashford as he is a big fan of the England international, whom he thinks is one of the world’s most dangerous attacking players, and believes he can help him recapture his best form.’
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Shortly after this bombshell announcement, Fabrizio Romano confirmed a ‘deal is close’. He said: “Marcus Rashford and Aston Villa, the deal is close, as negotiations are now progressing to the final stages.
“Loan move until June, salary covered and discussions ongoing about buy clause.
“Rashford has also spoken to Unai Emery, he’s aware of Aston Villa desire to get him.”
Journalist Ben Jacobs added: “Aston Villa optimistic of a loan deal to sign Marcus Rashford from Manchester United.
“Comes after Rashford made it clear in last 24 hours he’s open to the move.
“Driven by Unai Emery and there could be a buy option.”
