Marcus Rashford is on the verge of finalizing a loan transfer to Aston Villa, where he is expected to remain for the rest of the season, stepping away from Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United.
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Reports suggest that Amorim made it clear ..Continue Reading
Allegedly, this was the direct message conveyed to the forward as he prepares for his temporary switch to Villa Park.
The 27-year-old will stay at Aston Villa until the season’s end, with the club holding a £40 million option to make the transfer permanent in the summer.
As Rashford leaves Old Trafford for the first time in his career, talkSPORT reports that Amorim told the once-celebrated academy graduate that he is no longer part of his plans and will not be given a place in the squad under his management.
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Rashford has not played for United in nearly two months, with his last appearance coming in a Europa League win over Viktoria Plzen.
Amorim, who recently remarked that he would rather have 63-year-old goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital on the bench than Rashford at present, addressed the situation: “Imagine a talent like Rashford, our team should be so much better with him – but he has to change.
“If he changes, we are more than welcome [to include him] – and we need it. But in this moment we have to set some standards. We are waiting for Rashford, if he wants it really bad.
“You [the media] want to make it personal, I have nothing against Marcus, but I have to make the same rules for everybody. We need goals, we need [players who can go] one against one, we need threat in the final third.”
Amorim has been unimpressed with Marcus Rashford’s commitment in training, and it was Rashford who first hinted at a potential exit when he told journalist Henry Winter in December that he was “ready for a new challenge.”
The forward is scheduled to undergo a medical on Sunday before completing his temporary switch to Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.
Rashford has reportedly already bid farewell to his Manchester United teammates, who have recently enjoyed an improvement in form.
Villa will cover approximately 70% of Rashford’s £300,000-a-week salary for the remainder of the season, though that figure could increase to around 90% based on certain performance-related clauses in his contract.
The move was made financially possible after Villa sold Jhon Duran to Al-Nassr for £65 million. The Colombian striker had previously attracted interest from Premier League clubs, with West Ham having a £57 million bid rejected last month and Chelsea also linked before he opted for the Saudi Pro League.
Rashford now hopes to provide a boost to Villa’s push for Champions League qualification, with Emery’s side sitting in eighth place, just four points away from a top-five finish.
However, their hopes took a hit with a 2-0 defeat to Wolves in the West Midlands derby on Saturday, extending their winless run in the league to three matches.
Villa will visit Old Trafford on the final day of the Premier League season, but Amorim won’t have to worry about Rashford coming back to haunt him—he is ineligible to play against his parent club.
