Manchester United ‘to sanction Rashford exit’ in major Arsenal transfer twist
Man United are set to sanction a Marcus Rashford deal that will impact Aston Villa and Arsenal.
The England international is currently on loan at Villa Park until the end of the season after tensions ran high between him and Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford.
Rashford has fallen out of the United team with his manager publicly questioning his work ethic and training performances, with the winger currently trying to recapture his form under Unai Emery.
While Rashford hasn’t quite hit the dazzling heights that he’s previously proven himself capable of in the past, he certainly has made a positive impact for the Villans.
Villa have the option of signing him on a permanent basis at the end of this season for £40million, and that’s something that United are keen to see happen.
Aston Villa might gain and lose a player
Rashford has been pushing his way into more regular game time at Villa, to the point where he has become the first-choice striker recently.
The 27-year-old has recently replaced Ollie Watkins, which has proven how highly Emery thinks of him, but that might spell the end of Watkins’ time at Villa Park.
United are expected to green light the sale of Rashford, but they might also attempt to sign Watkins if he decides to move on in search of more game time.
According to the Daily Star (19 April), United would consider offering Rashford plus a significant cash payment to sign the England international.
| Marcus Rashford – career appearances | APPS | GOALS |
| Manchester United | 426 | 138 |
| Aston Villa (loan) | 16 | 3 |
| England | 62 | 17 |
| Total | 503 | 158 |
That would lead to Villa not having to pay for Rashford, while also gaining finances for Watkins’ services.
It is also claimed that a potential sale of Watkins would be a serious blow to Arsenal at the same time, as the Gunners have made him one of their priority signings for the summer transfer window.
Aston Villa will have a decision to make about their squad
The decision to sign Rashford might seem like a no-brainer for Emery to make, but if it ends up being at the expense of Watkins then that choice becomes increasingly more difficult.
Emery is attempting to build a competitive squad that can compete on all fronts for silverware, therefore, it will be tricky to allow Watkins to leave the club.
The striker is a proven goal threat in the Premier League, and Emery would likely prefer to have Rashford and Watkins as options for next season, rather than one or the other.