Monchi has lifted the lid on how Aston Villa secured Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio on loan last season
Marcus Rashford spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa
Marcus Rashford spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa
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Monchi has explained that Marcus Rashford’s move to Aston Villa would not have been possible without Unai Emery.
The Villa manager has often played a key role in persuading players to join Villa, and Rashford was no exception.
Joining on loan from Manchester United for the second half of last season, Rashford restored his confidence and form under Emery.
He scored four goals and made six assists across the 17 appearances he made for Villa across all competitions.
"The key was Unai,” Monchi explained to Flashscore. “Unai, when he had a conversation with Marcus, already told him: 'Look, Marcus, I'm sure about you. We are going to give you the opportunity to play in the Premier League',” Monchi told Flashscore
“He was able to transmit to him everything that Marcus needed to hear. And the best thing is that it came true, that's important. Marcus is a player with an enviable technical and physical level, a top player.
“Marco [Asensio] was a similar issue to Rashford. He was also a player that Unai has always wanted to have; in fact, before I arrived, they had been very close, before he left for Paris Saint-Germain.
“It's a player profile that Unai likes a lot, that number 10 who can play between the lines, who can unite the team, who has an inside pass, who has a goal. And well, between all of that, I think we convinced him.
"For me, he is a player of a very high level. I don't know where I would put him at the top, but he is one of the players with the best quality that I have been fortunate enough to have."
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