Aston Villa have a £40m option to buy Marcus Rashford from Man Utd.
10:20, Thu, Mar 20, 2025 | UPDATED: 10:21, Thu, Mar 20, 2025
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Man Utd forward Marcus Rashford.
Marcus Rashford is on loan at Aston Villa. (Image: Getty)
Former Aston Villa defender Richard Dunne wants the club to prioritise signing Marcus Rashford permanently over Marco Asensio this summer if they only have the funds for one. The attacking duo have quickly struck up a lethal partnership at Villa Park after arriving on loan from Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively, in January.
Asensio has scored seven goals in his last five matches, four of which were assisted by Rashford, who has yet to find the net himself since escaping Old Trafford. The United forward has rediscovered a spark under Unai Emery, earning him a recall to the England squad as part of Thomas Tuchel's first squad after replacing Gareth Southgate. And Dunne wants Villa to trigger their £40million option to buy Rashford at the end of the season if they face an awkward dilemma.
"Marcus Rashford is unbelievably talented and has been a great loan signing for Aston Villa so far, as has Marco Asensio," Dunne told William Hill Vegas.
"They are two players who, for long periods of their careers, have gone missing and not quite achieved the heights you'd expect from them.
"When it comes down to it in the summer, at the end of their loan spells, Villa may have to pick one of them, and the money may be an issue in terms of signing both permanently.
"If you look at it, Rashford knows the Premier League and will withstand the physicality of it. He can also play in a number of positions and is arguably more versatile.
"If Villa are confident they're getting the best version of Rashford, I'd probably go with him permanently."
Marcus Rashford in England training.
Marcus Rashford is back in the England squad. (Image: Getty)
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Rashford's early exploits at Villa have helped dispel criticism of United for rewarding his career-best 2022/23 season with a bumper new contract.
Dunne, however, added praise for Asensio and insisted the best-case scenario was Villa lifting the Champions League in May to generate the funds to recruit both.
Emery's side automatically qualified for the round of 16 by finishing eighth in the league, during which they beat Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Celtic and drew at Juventus.
The Villans booked a glamorous quarter-final clash against Paris Saint-Germain by cruising past Club Brugge, winning 6-1 on aggregate across two legs.
Rashford's stock will soar if he contributes to a deep European run. In the short term, he'll aim to make a statement to Tuchel at the start of England's 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
The 27-year-old could feature against Albania and Latvia at Wembley, and Dunne believes Tuchel will retain optimism he can reignite his best form after a two-year rut.
He said: "Recently, we've seen signs of the old Rashford coming back to form at Aston Villa. If that continues, England could have a top player on their hands.
"I'm sure Thomas Tuchel wants to assess him and understand his mood and personality now before making a big call for the 2026 World Cup squad.
"Rashford has a real opportunity to put everything right, and how he rises to the challenge will depend entirely on him."