Aston Villa are leading the race to sign Manchester United star Marcus Rashford on a permanent deal, despite interest from Barcelona.
According to Mick Brown via Football Insider, Aston Villa are in pole position to sign Marcus Rashford permanently. The Manchester United winger has been doing wonders for Unai Emery’s team since joining them on loan, and they are now keen on making sure he continues at the club beyond the summer. While Barcelona are also keen on his signature, Villa are believed to be the front-runner at this stage.
Former Manchester United scout Brown believes the loan move has been a win-win situation for all parties involved. Rashford has revived himself since switching clubs in January, and his performances could now help the Red Devils raise significant funds from his departure.
While speaking to Football Insider, Brown said: “Marcus going out on loan has been a win-win,”
“There was no way his situation at Man United was going to improve, so from that point of view he’s gone away and improved his position.
“There’s never been any doubt about Marcus’ talent, and now he’s found a platform to display that.
“Aston Villa have gained from it because they were brave enough to take him on loan.
“Now, I think they’ll be in the best position to keep him on a permanent deal even though there’s going to be interest from elsewhere.
“He’s established there and it’s been a good deal for everybody involved.
“I think there’s more to come for him there now that he’s got his first couple of goals – that link up with Asensio has been excellent.
“If they can keep that going and Villa can keep him at the club they’ll be much better for it.
“Manchester United will no doubt benefit as well because they can maximise his price tag when if he had stayed he was a depreciating asset.“
After falling out with Ruben Amorim and people at the club, Rashford had to spend a significant amount of time out of the team. Things were unlikely to improve for him at Old Trafford, as a result, he ended up joining Villa in the winter.
Villa to sign Rashford permanently
Unai Emery was brave to sign the United star on loan, and the move has certainly worked out. The 27-year-old left-winger has featured in a total of 10 matches for Villa and has contributed towards six goals. His performances have pleased people at the club, and they are interested in making the move permanent.
Villa did negotiate a £40 million buy option when they signed him on a short loan deal. As a result, they can trigger it to make the deal permanent. But it won’t be that straightforward as they will have to match his massive £350,000-per-week wage over a period of five years, which will make the total cost of the operation around £130 million.
Barcelona are also keen on Rashford
Meanwhile, Barcelona are also keen on his signature. The Catalan giants have been linked with the English international for some time. They seek more depth and quality in the final third and believe Rashford could do wonders for them.
However, their financial struggles mean they won’t find it easy to strike a deal for the 27-year-old. Meanwhile, Villa are currently leading the race to sign him permanently, but it remains to be seen if they will trigger the buy option.