Marcus Rashford is expected to leave Manchester United this summer, but a permanent switch to Aston Villa isn’t certain as he will reportedly refuse to reduce his mammoth wages.
The 27-year-old forward signed for Villa on loan in January after being dropped from Ruben Amorim’s squad, and the Villains have the option to sign him permanently for £40m.
As part of the agreement, Villa have been paying 75 percent of Rashford’s huge wage of £325,000 per week – the fifth-highest pay packet in the Premier League.
According to The Manchester Evening News, Rashford is said to have been ‘never happier’ than at Villa Park, but the report insists that he is ‘not prepared’ to take a wage cut this summer.
This ‘restricts him to a handful of potential suitors’, as only the world’s richest clubs would be able to afford to match the terms of his current Man Utd contract, which is valid until 2028.
Villa would therefore have to agree to Rashford’s demands to sign him permanently this summer and they are yet to make a final decision on that front.
The England international has notched four goals and six assists in 17 games for Villa so far, and his improved form has captured the attention of clubs abroad…
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TEAMtalk transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher reported on April 29 that Barcelona are interested in Rashford and are considering a move, should Villa decide against signing him.
We also understand that a £50m price tag would not put Barcelona off despite the Catalan club’s financial struggles in recent years.
Rashford, for his part, is keen to test himself abroad and a switch to the Camp Nou would tick all the boxes, IF they are able to pay his sky-high wages.
Rashford would be very keen on a move to Barcelona in the right circumstances.
Saudi Arabia’s chief dealmakers have also held talks with Rashford’s agents over a switch to the Gulf State previously, and they would be able to pay his £325,000 per week wage.
However, sources have told TEAMtalk previously that Rashford’s preference would be to stay in Europe. He wants to be part of England’s 2026 World Cup squad and needs to continue playing at a high level to achieve that.
Paris Saint-Germain were strongly linked with Marcus Rashford and even held discussions with his brother, Dwaine Maynard, back in 2022. However, the club is now reportedly focused on assembling a younger, more team-oriented squad — one that just reached the Champions League final without Kylian Mbappe.
Meanwhile, Man Utd are preparing for Rashford’s return to pre-season training in July. Unless a breakthrough comes in the transfer market, the situation could mirror the prolonged Jadon Sancho saga.
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