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Former Premier League star Craig Burley thinks Aston Villa loan star Marcus Rashford is now playing to prove that he is not a bad apple and attract suitors for the summer transfer window.
Rashford fell out of favour under Manchester United’s new boss Ruben Amorim and in the winter transfer window, the club approved a loan move to Aston Villa.
The 27-year-old has reinvented his form under Unai Emery and has scored three goals, while assisting five in his eleven matches for Aston Villa so far.
Aston Villa have an option to buy clause in Rashford’s loan deal, but if they do not trigger it, Rashford will have to return to Old Trafford in the summer, which Burley believes would be difficult for the forward.
Burley thinks that Manchester United and Rashford are unlikely to reconcile with each other and is of the view that the forward with his displays is auditioning for the summer to justify his price tag.
He stressed that Rashford is also trying to prove that he is not the bad apple in the dressing room which many thought was the case at Manchester United.
“I think that is a difficult return [to Old Trafford] if indeed that is what happens”, Burley said on ESPN FC (5:47).
Competition Games Goals/Assists
Premier League 6 3
Champions League 2 1
FA Cup 3 3
“But in the summer, when this all comes out in the wash, whatever happens to Villa, whether they are in the FA Cup or in the Champions League or whatever happens, he is going to walk back as a Manchester United player until somebody buys him or until they reconcile their differences, which just seems to me they are too deep.
“It is not going to happen, so he basically is playing to find somewhere else to play next year and to convince someone, whether it be Villa or not, to convince someone that he is worth the money and he is not going to be a bad apple for them, as it seemed he was in the end at Manchester United.”
The Manchester United loanee featured for 65 minutes against Brighton on Wednesday and also contributed a goal in their 3-0 win.
Rashford will be desperate to maintain his form until the season ends and convince Aston Villa to keep him on a permanent basis.
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INSIDE FUTBOL SAYS:
Manchester United will try to offload Marcus Rashford if Villa did not trigger his option to buy clause in his contract in the summer. However, the Red Devils will not be willing to let him go for cheap.
The more he plays and displays how good he can be, the better it will be for Manchester United, as his value in the summer transfer window will go up.
Rashford, with his skillset, can be a good option for Aston Villa, but his transfer will likely depend on whether Villa will be in the Champions League next season.