Marcus Rashford is on the verge of securing a loan move to Aston Villa as he looks to restart his career away from Manchester United.
The England international has been sidelined for 12 consecutive matches under Ruben Amorim, who has challenged him to meet higher training standards before earning a recall.
Despite initially hoping for a switch to Barcelona, Rashford’s Camp Nou aspirations have faded with time running out in the January transfer window.
With limited options, he is now prepared to join Villa, where manager Unai Emery has personally pushed for his arrival.
The Manchester Evening News reports that negotiations are progressing, with optimism that a deal will be completed before the deadline.
Villa’s interest in attacking reinforcements intensified following Jhon Duran’s £64 million departure to Al-Nassr.
The club had also pursued Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel, but the French youngster prefers Arsenal or Manchester United, having already rejected Tottenham.
Meanwhile, Arsenal remains keen on Villa’s star striker Ollie Watkins, though Emery has insisted that the forward is committed to staying.
Rashford, 27, has netted seven times in 24 appearances this season but remains out of favor at Old Trafford.
Amorim has been clear about his high expectations, stating that Rashford must significantly improve his training performances before being reintegrated into the squad.
“Marcus has incredible talent, but he must change. If he does, we welcome him back. We need goals, we need players who can beat defenders, and we need a serious attacking threat,” Amorim said. He even went as far as to claim he would rather field 63-year-old goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital than any player who fails to give their all in training.
Should Rashford finalize his move to Villa, he will have the opportunity to feature in the Champions League knockout stages—a major incentive that United cannot offer this season. His departure could also open the door for United to push ahead with their pursuit of Bayern Munich starlet Tel.
With only days left in the transfer window, all eyes are on Rashford’s next move as he looks to revive his form and career under Emery at Villa Park.