England icon Paul Gascoigne has playfully hinted that Marcus Rashford could end up on the radar of Real Madrid if he shines for Aston Villa for the remainder of the season.
Rashford was forced to leave boyhood club Manchester United in January after being dropped by Ruben Amorim. The forward subsequently joined Aston Villa on an initial loan in an attempt to get his career back on track.
The deal includes the option for Villa to sign Rashford permanently this summer for £40million (€48m / $52m), should he impress.
While Rashford has yet to score his first goal for his new club, he has looked lively under Unai Emery and has chipped in with four assists in nine appearances so far.
The 27-year-old’s exciting displays have seen him get back into the England setup, and he started in both of the recent World Cup qualifiers under Thomas Tuchel.
Now, former Newcastle and Tottenham ace Gascoigne has discussed Rashford’s Villa switch and what may happen next.
He joked that the winger might end up securing a blockbuster move to Real Madrid if he establishes himself as one of the top players in the Premier League once again.
“He’s playing well there,” Gascoigne said (via Birmingham Mail).
“I heard he might be going to Real Madrid. He’ll have had more moves than a chess player!
“His attitude is just wanting to play football, and he seems like he’s playing with a smile on his face, but he seems to be alright at Aston Villa.
“Aston Villa is a magnificent club and maybe he’s just got to be happy playing.
“Football’s his life and change of scenery and different fans, but he seems to be doing alright. I like him as a player.”
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TEAMtalk’s Ben Jacobs revealed on Tuesday that Villa chiefs have been impressed by Rashford’s performances, though they want him to play well for the rest of the campaign before committing to that £40m purchase option.
The player himself is enjoying his new adventure at Villa Park but has yet to make a final decision on the summer either.
There will need to be some negotiations between Villa and Rashford over wages before the transfer becomes permanent, too.
Rashford earns a reported £300,000 a week and it remains to be seen if the Villans are willing to pay this outright.
Villa battling for top goalkeeper; Man Utd exodus
Meanwhile, TEAMtalk can reveal that both Villa and Chelsea are strongly considering moves for Mike Maignan this summer.
Chelsea have been in ‘constant contact’ with the AC Milan star’s entourage, while Villa have shown serious interest in landing him.
Elsewhere, Rashford could be followed out of United by a host of other players at the end of the season.
Amorim is reportedly planning to offload as many as 11 stars, including Rashford, Casemiro and Antony.
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