Roy Keane baffled by ‘strange’ Aston Villa transfer – ‘It’s sad’
Roy Keane was baffled by a strange Aston Villa singing in the winter transfer window.
The Lions made several quality additions to their ranks with the likes of Donyell Malen, Marco Asensio, Marcus Rasshford and Axel Disasi.
There were a few departures from Villa Park as well, with the biggest being the sale of Jhon Duran to Al Nassr.
Overall, the Villans have managed to strengthen their squad despite losing quality from their bench, but one piece of business has been scrutinised.
Marcus Rashford transfer to Aston Villa baffles Roy Keane
Keane is sad to see Rashford leave Manchester United for the Birmingham club.
The ex-midfielder finds it unusual that the English forward decided to stay in the Premier League rather than move abroad.
Keane is surprised to see the 27-year-old trade Old Trafford for Villa Park after signing on loan until the end of the season.
Speaking on Sky Sports (7 February), the Irishman said: “If he’s lost the hunger at Man United – how will he get it at Aston Villa? Once you lose the hunger, it’s hard to get it back.
“It’s sad but it’s been on the cards the last year or two, especially since the new manager’s come in. Clearly, they didn’t get on. The manager got no reaction from Marcus.
The strange thing for me was I thought when Marcus was going to leave Man United he was going to go abroad and try something new. A new adventure for him, a different league, a different challenge. To go to Villa surprises me a little bit.
“I know Villa are going along nicely, but you can’t compare them to Man United.”
Marcus Rashford to become key player for Unai Emery
It will be interesting to see where Emery fits Rashford into his plans, as he has preferred specific players up front over the course of the season.
Morgan Rogers has been an ever-present in the starting lineup this season, and Jacob Ramsey has come back into the team as well after his injury.
With Duran leaving, Ollie Watkins will now be expected to step up and carry the burden of scoring goals.
While Rashford mostly plays on the left-wing, he can also play down the middle, and despite his struggles at Man United in the last few months, he has shown glimpses of his talent in the recent past.
The Villans have arguably gotten a quality player at their disposal, and it’s now up to Emery to bring out the best in him.
Asensio has also been added to the Lions’ ranks, giving the Spanish manager a bunch of options as he looks to progress further in the Champions League.
While Man United lurk in the bottom half of the table, the Birmingham club are in the race for a top-four finish, and Rashford will definitely get the change of environment needed to thrive once again.