Manchester United might not have signed any forward during the winter transfer window but after weeks of negotiations, they finally managed to offload Marcus Rashford on deadline day with Aston Villa picking him up on loan.
The Mancunian, after being dropped from the Manchester derby matchday squad, publicly revealed his desire for a change in scenery and since then, quite a few clubs tried to win the race for his signature.
Ruben Amorim was far from pleased with his aptitude during training which is why he greenlit his exit with INEOS backing the head coach.
AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund were the early frontrunners but the 27-year-old’s mind was set on a move to Barcelona. But only when the Catalans distanced themselves from a late approach did the forward agree to make the move to Birmingham.
Rashford only at Villa for the short-term
But in every subsequent interview since his loan move, the Englishman has made it clear that he is at Villa only for the short-term.
A return to the Red Devils is off the cards and despite Unai Emery’s men having the option of making the move permanent in the summer, the Carrington graduate still has his eyes set on moving to the Camp Nou in the summer.
“Manchester United outcast Marcus Rashford remains interested in a move abroad and could use his loan with Aston Villa as a stepping stone and head elsewhere in the summer, TEAMtalk understands.
“The six-month loan will see him play out the season with Villa and TEAMtalk sources state that the Midlands side were keen to make the move permanent.
His agents still working on summer Barca move
“We understand that Rashford is still very interested in playing abroad and there have been whispers from those close to his situation that a move is already in motion for the summer. The summer could be the opportunity for Barcelona and other foreign suitors to make their move.”
Even if Villa were to trigger the option, there is no point in keeping an unhappy player on board which is likely to mean an exit is on the cards irrespective of how the short-term deal goes.
It would be unfair for Villa if Rashford decides to dump them even if they want to buy him outright but for all this to materialise, the player must first rediscover his form.
Only then with the Spanish giants come calling again. Emery believes he can get the best out of the England international, something plenty of previous United managers struggled to do.
United will be happy should the player have a stunning six-month spell given that his market value will rise and the 20-time English league champions can then sell him for a higher fee with his sale set to constitute pure profit owing to his homegrown status.
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Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
