Aston Villa tipped to sign Marcus Rashford permanently from Man United
Chris Sutton has offered his prediction on the future of Marcus Rashford now he’s at Aston Villa, ahead of their FA Cup tie against Tottenham.
The forward has had a tough season at Manchester United so far which made him available for loan during the winter transfer window, with Villa snapping him up.
That means Rashford could make his debut as his new side prepares to welcome Spurs to Villa Park on Sunday (9 February).
Chris Sutton makes Marcus Rashford prediction
Rashford has made just 15 league appearances this term and has contributed four goals and an assist across the campaign.
The 27-year-old has been performing below the level that is expected of him for some time now and Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim has been critical of his attitude.
Therefore, there is a feeling among many that it could be the last chance for the forward to save his career at Villa Park.
An FA Cup game against Tottenham could be a perfect place to start in what could be a big occasion between the two sides.
Writing on BBC Sport making his prediction for the tie against Spurs (6 February), Sutton speculated about what the future holds Rashford in the West Midlands as he said: “Like Tottenham, Villa also have a problem keeping clean sheets – they have managed only one in their past 13 games – so I think there will be goals in this tie.
“It will be interesting to see if Villa’s new loan signing, Marcus Rashford, gets one of them.
“Bringing Rashford in is a gamble, but I know myself from my career how a change of scenery can reinvigorate a player. This is essentially a trial for him – if he does well, they will sign him. If not, he will be going back to Manchester United. Prediction: 2-2 after extra time, Villa to win 12-11 on penalties.”
Marcus Rashford has to make impact at Aston Villa
You can understand why Unai Emery made the decision to bring Rashford to Villa Park for the remainder of the campaign.
With Jhon Duran having left the club during the winter transfer window and Ollie Watkins picking up an injury, the boss will be pleased he has the attacking reinforcement in his side.
The Villans are continuing to push for a top-four finish in the Premier League this term while also fighting in the Champions League, meaning they will have to be on top of their game up until the end of the campaign.
In the past, the 27-year-old has shown exactly what he can do at the top level and this is more an opportunity for him to succeed because if he doesn’t, as Sutton points out, he will simply find himself back at Old Trafford upon the end of the campaign questioning what comes next.
If he can get his form back, however, there is no reason why Villa wouldn’t consider making a permanent move for the forward in the summer.
Therefore, Rashford will be eager to show he is not past his best and get off to a strong start if given the chance against Tottenham on Sunday.