Marcus Rashford has been on loan at Aston Villa since February. The England left-winger believes it is unlikely that he will play for Manchester United under Ruben Amorim again, but will not be quick to make a decision about his future.
Rashford scored his fourth goal since joining Aston Villa on loan in February, during their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday. Although he has a contract with Manchester United until 2028, and a return is not completely ruled out, sources close to the player believe that there is no obvious way back to Manchester United at the moment.
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Excluded by Ruben Amorim
Rashford was excluded from Manchester United’s first team by Amorim in December, and was only included in the squad once after that – as an unused substitute in the home defeat to Newcastle on 30 December.
After his move to Aston Villa, Ruben Amorim stated:
“I couldn’t get Marcus to understand the way we should play football, and to train the way I see it.”
This means that United will have to decide whether to sell the 27-year-old attacker or let him go on a new loan this summer if Aston Ville do not exercise the purchase option.
With Manchester United’s financial challenges and Ruben Amorim’s desire to reshape the team according to his style of play, it would be helpful to clarify the situation of one of the club’s highest-paid players. But that doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon.
According to sources close to the player, he has not yet had talks about his future and does not plan to do so until mid-June.
It is also understood that he is not interested in becoming part of a swap, following rumours of United’s interest in Crystal Palace striker Eberechi Eze.
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Better at Aston Villa
Rashford is now a more attractive option for potential buyers than when he joined Villa in February.
Four goals in 17 games is not a staggering number, but his overall contribution – including six assists – has been significant for Aston Villa. This earned him a call-up to the England national team and has kept teammate Ollie Watkins on the bench.
With an FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace and an ongoing battle for a Champions League place, following a strong performance against Paris Saint-Germain last week, Rashford is in a far better situation than United’s continued problems.
Limited Market
As one of United’s highest-paid players, there aren’t many clubs that can match Rashford’s salary demands.
However, United covered part of his salary to get the loan deal with Villa done, and there is a feeling in Rashford’s camp that there will be significant interest in him this summer – something he wants to consider more closely then.
Villa boss Unai Emery has been cautious about commenting on Rashford’s future:
“I’m very happy with him. He performs well, has adapted quickly, and his commitment is important for us and for him. He has to keep going like this, and on Saturday I hope he can help us again.”
What’s next for Rashford? The answer will probably not come until the summer.
