Aston Villa may reportedly look to hold further discussions with Manchester United over a permanent transfer for Marcus Rashford, despite both sides agreeing to a £40million buy option.
Rashford sealed a surprise loan move to Villa during the January transfer window after falling out of favour under Ruben Amorim.
The player had not featured for United since December 12, when they beat Viktoria Plzen 2-1 in the Europa League. Amorim consistently excluded Rashford from his matchday squads, and despite the manager’s insistence that his decisions were motivated by training and selection reasons, speculation remained rife that there was more to the story.
Rashford has enjoyed a resurgence at Villa. Despite not scoring a goal for the club, he has managed four assists in nine games across all competitions.
His improved performances earned him a first England call-up in 12 months, and he started both the national side’s matches against Albania and Latvia.
It’s been suggested that Unai Emery and his coaching staff have been impressed with Rashford’s application and seamless transition into life at Villa Park. A permanent stay is on the cards, but according to TEAMtalk, the Birmingham outfit could look to “negotiate further” with United, presumably to try and drive the price down. This is despite the fact that the two sides agreed to a £40m buy option.
TEAMtalk reveal, ” A permanent move has some complications that all parties need to resolve despite a willingness to continue together next season.”
“Villa have the option to make the loan deal permanent for £40million. And while both Villa and Rashford are content with the situation at the moment, neither party has made a firm decision on the long-term future.”
“Villa are certainly keen to explore a permanent deal for the forward based but will want to see Rashford maintain his promising form through April. And they may consider not just triggering the option but negotiating further with Manchester United.”
Another thing that will be taken into account is Rashford’s wages. At the moment, United and Emery’s side are cost-sharing the 27-year-old’s hefty salary, believed to be in excess of £300k per week. Even if he were to accept a pay cut, Rashford would most likely still be Villa’s highest earner by a significant margin.
The Carrington academy graduate also needs to be convinced that Villa are the right club for him. For large parts of the winter transfer window, Barcelona were mentioned as Rashford’s preferred transfer destination but a move never got over the line.
If he determines that a summer switch to the Blaugrana is possible, Rashford may very well hold out for the opportunity.
Featured image Gareth Copley via Getty Images
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
