Marcus Rashford has officially joined Aston Villa on loan from Manchester United, potentially signaling the end of his time at Old Trafford. Villa secured an option to make the deal permanent in the summer for £40 million, covering most of his £325,000-a-week wages, which could rise to 90% based on his performances.
Expressing his excitement, Rashford shared on social media: “I want to thank both Manchester United and Aston Villa for making this happen. Several clubs showed interest, but Villa was an easy choice. I admire their playing style and the manager’s ambition. I just want to play football and can’t wait to get started. Best wishes to United for the rest of the season.”
Villa confirmed the signing in a brief statement: “Aston Villa is delighted to announce the loan signing of Marcus Rashford from Manchester United. The England international, with 60 caps, joins on a deal until the season’s end.”
Rashford’s arrival marks Villa’s third signing this transfer window after acquiring Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund and Andres Garcia from Spain. The move comes after a turbulent period for the 27-year-old at United under new boss Ruben Amorim.
Though he started and scored in Amorim’s debut match against Ipswich Town in November, he was dropped for the Manchester derby in December and has since been left out for 12 consecutive matches.
His situation deteriorated further when he hinted at his exit in a revealing interview, stating he was “ready for a new challenge.” Amorim’s reluctance to reinstate Rashford became clear when he jokingly suggested he’d rather give a bench spot to his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach.
AC Milan, Barcelona, and Borussia Dortmund all explored deals for Rashford, but Villa emerged victorious after selling Jhon Duran to Saudi club Al-Nassr, freeing up funds for the transfer. Unai Emery is now tasked with revitalizing Rashford’s career at Villa Park.
Villa remains active in the market, closing in on Paris Saint-Germain’s Marco Asensio and potentially making a last-minute move for Chelsea’s Joao Felix. Meanwhile, United has secured left-back Patrick Dorgu from Lecce for £29 million and is now eyeing attacking reinforcements. Matthys Tel of Bayern Munich remains a possibility, while a surprise approach for Villa’s Leon Bailey is also under discussion.