Aston Villa are reportedly making progress in talks with Manchester United over a potential loan move for Marcus Rashford.
The 27-year-old has had a difficult time over the last couple of seasons, and is currently out of favour with Utd boss Ruben Amorim.
READ MORE: Emery outlines Villa transfer plan as signings expected ahead of deadline
Rashford bagged 30 goals and nine assists in 56 games across all competitions in the 2022/23 campaign, but he has struggled to reach those levels since, and doubts have been raised over his future at Old Trafford, particularly having been frozen out in recent weeks.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Unai Emery wants the England international at Villa and talks are ongoing over a loan deal for the remainder of the season, and while he concedes that it’s a difficult move to get done due to the financial aspects, it’s suggested by the Manchester Evening News that progress is being made in negotiations and that there is optimism that a deal will get done.
Amid question marks being raised over his attitude and application in training by Amorim, some Villa fans will no doubt be sceptical over this potential move, but a fresh start is exactly what Rashford seemingly needs to get his career back on track, and we’ve seen Emery get the best out of a number of players since he arrived who had been underperforming or failing to reach their potential.
If there is a coach who can do that for Rashford, it’s the Villa boss, and so if a move were to materialise, be it a temporary switch for the next few months, we could be getting a crucial reinforcement to provide us with another option in the final third as we try to compete across multiple fronts.
With Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, Jacob Ramsey, Leon Bailey and Donyell Malen available to the Basque coach already, we’ve got quality and competition in the final third, but Rashford could add another key dynamic and versatility to play in various roles, and that could prove to be very useful in the coming months as we look to secure a European qualification spot for next season and advance in both the Champions League and FA Cup.
Villa have been paired with a number of targets as Jhon Duran completed his move to Al Nassr this week while Emiliano Buendia departed on loan to Bayer Leverkusen, and with just a couple of days remaining in the January transfer window, there will be a fascinating wait to see who ultimately arrives to bolster our attack and improve what we already have, with at least one signing in that department needed.