Marcus Rashford ‘blocks dream Ollie Watkins transfer’ away from Aston Villa
Marcus Rashford is actively working on spoiling a dream transfer away from Aston Villa for Ollie Watkins.
Aston Villa have an exciting FA Cup semi-final tie with Crystal Palace coming up on Saturday (26 April), but Unai Emery finds himself in a pickle.
There has been a lot of talk about the Spaniard’s team selection after he favoured Rashford over Watkins for Villa’s Champions League tie against PSG and subsequently for the trip to Manchester City.
Watkins has not shied away from admitting his feelings, revealing that he talked to Emery about his frustrations in the wake of his omission against PSG.
Rashford spoils Watkins’ dream transfer
Watkins responded to being overlooked against PSG by grabbing a goal and an assist in Aston Villa’s 4-1 win against Newcastle last Saturday, 19 April.
However, the England international would have been left infuriated after Emery left him on the bench for the Birmingham-based club’s following game against Manchester City.
Watkins’ future at Villa Park is now in serious doubt, with a swap deal between Manchester United and Aston Villa already on the cards.
The Star reported on 19 April that Watkins and Rashford could be headed in opposite directions come the summer transfer window.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
| Premier League | 34 | 15 | 7 | 2273′ |
| Champions League | 12 | 1 | 4 | 697′ |
| FA Cup | 3 | 0 | 2 | 181′ |
Manchester United are in desperate need of a prolific goalscorer, and the 29-year-old would be perfect for them.
A move to Old Trafford would also be a dream come true for Watkins, who could be a regular starter there while pocketing a mouth-watering salary.
However, the deal might not materialise, as Rashford has no interest in being part of a swap deal involving Watkins, according to The Times.
The newspaper reported via their website on Wednesday (23 April) that the forward does not want to be involved in any such deal involving any player, for that matter.
Watkins will be fuming at Aston Villa
Emery seems to be walking a tightrope at Villa Park, as it feels tensions between Watkins and Rashford could boil over at any point.
However, the Spanish tactician might not have anyone but himself to blame for his situation after snubbing the former Brentford ace in big games against PSG and Manchester City.
It appears Rashford is not too keen on returning to Aston Villa after this season, with his eyes firmly set on a big transfer to Barcelona.
Watkins, though, is contracted to the Villans until 2028. There is a case to be made about Emery having to prioritise the striker over the United loanee between now and the end of the season.