Marcus Rashford’s future is up in the air once more - could Aston Villa be the ideal alternative to Barcelona?
On paper, it’s hard to figure out precisely why Barcelona are hesitating over making the signing of Marcus Rashford permanent – but with other transfer targets apparently prioritised, the 28-year-old could well be on the move yet again.
14 goals and 11 assists on loan from Manchester United, including the opener in the win over Real Madrid which decided the Spanish title race, would be a sufficiently impressive return for most clubs to trigger the forward’s £26m release clause. Instead, his future is back up in the air. So where might Rashford end up – and which of the three Premier League teams linked with him make the most sense for a player still searching for a new home?
Why Barcelona might pass on Marcus Rashford – and where he might go instead
Despite a very respectable debut season at the Camp Nou, Barcelona appear to have prioritised a £69m deal for Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon and, potentially, an even more expensive move for Atlético Madrid striker Julián Alvarez. Quite where the cash-strapped Catalans have found all that money isn’t clear, but it doesn’t appear to have left room in the transfer budget for Rashford.
Barcelona have reportedly been pressuring Manchester United to reduce their asking price, a request that is likely to fall on deaf ears given that the agreed upon purchase clause already represents something of a bargain. The chances that Rashford gets to stay in Spain aren’t zero, but as it stands the only thing that seems clear is that he won’t be going back to Manchester United.
Despite a change of management with Michael Carrick now in charge at Old Trafford, Rashford’s relationship with United is apparently broken beyond repair and it felt pointed that, after the announcement that he had been selected for England’s World Cup squad, he thanked both Barcelona and Aston Villa on social media posts, but not his actual employers.
As it stands, then, Rashford is in limbo. Most reports agree that he would prefer to stay with Barcelona, but there is no guarantee that will be possible. Fortunately, he will almost certainly have some options back in England.
The Daily Express report that he has already held “discussions” with both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, while Aston Villa are apparently interested in re-signing a player who shone on loan for them in the second half of last season. No talks appear to be at an advanced stage and it’s likely that Rashford will wait for Barcelona before he commits to a team back in England, but the options are there at least. But which of his three apparent admirers would make the most sense for Rashford himself?
Why Aston Villa could be Rashford’s best option this summer
A move to Arsenal would be unpopular with Manchester United supporters, but those bridges may be sufficiently burned that Rashford doesn’t take it into consideration. They are the champions of England, could be champions of Europe by the end of the weekend, and badly need some firepower down the left flank.
Rashford has the goalscoring prowess and directness to effectively replace the struggling Gabriel Martinelli, who seems set to leave the Emirates as he enters the final year of his contract. Arsenal need to balance their attack, which is too reliant on Bukayo Saka, and to find another player who can score goals. Rashford ticks the boxes.
Signing with Spurs would represent more of a gamble given that they’ve barely avoided relegation for two straight seasons, but at least they can pay well and there’s a clear need for a left-sided forward on their side of North London, too. But in a vacuum, it’s hard to make a case for a move to Spurs over Arsenal right now – or over Aston Villa.
Aston Villa couldn’t offer Champions League football last summer and were in something of a financial bind, both factors which prevented them from signing Rashford permanently after a successful loan spell. Barcelona’s hesitation and their return to Europe’s top table could give them a second bite of the cherry.
From Rashford’s perspective, it would perhaps be the safest bet. There’s already proof of concept for his efficacy in Unai Emery’s system, he already has the supporters on his side, and the only clear cut reason to prefer a move to Arsenal would be the likely increased odds of further trophies. Only Rashford will know how much that might matter to him.
Aston Villa’s return to the Champions League, coupled with the sale of their women’s team which got them out of a PSR black hole almost a year ago, means that they should have the financial clout to meet both Rashford and Manchester United’s demands, and they too need a new left winger after another unwanted United loanee, Jadon Sancho, failed to make that role his own at Villa Park. They need Rashford, and Rashford might just need them.
Still, if Barcelona become an option again, it’s likely that he will head back to the Camp Nou even if it means competing for a place with his England team-mate Gordon. Being out from under the spotlight of the English media appears to have suited him, and once can hardly argue against either the quality of the Catalan lifestyle or the financial upsides to playing for one of the world’s biggest sides. All that remains to be seen is if Barcelona make enough room in their budget for a deal after all.
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