Aston Villa: Financial rule change opens door for Marcus Rashford to seal Villa Park return
Aston Villa could have the perfect opportunity to bring in Marcus Rashford this summer.
The England international was well regarded throughout his six-month loan spell at Villa Park, even after missing the final weeks of the season through injury.
That ultimately helped him to seal a dream move to Barcelona last summer as he stayed away from Manchester United.
Things have certainly gone well at Camp Nou, but it appears that other transfer priorities are on the table for the Catalan giants right now.
Villa could now set their sights on Rashford as finances become less of a problem in LaLiga ahead of a busy summer.
Barcelona ready transfer spending spree after financial rule change
The 28-year-old is coming off the back of an excellent campaign in Spain, where he played a key role in winning a league title.
His goal and assist output was stellar and has certainly proved exactly how good he can be when given the chance to shine.
| Competition | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| LaLiga | 32 | 8 | 7 |
| Champions League | 11 | 5 | 3 |
| Copa del Rey | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Super Cup | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 49 | 14 | 11 |
There is a reported £26million buy option included in his loan deal with Man United, which expires on 15 June, but it doesn't look as if it will be activated.
That is due to Barca's pursuit of signing Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United in a deal worth upwards of £70m.
Julian Alvarez also continues to be linked with Camp Nou, as the Catalans reap the benefit of a change to the 1:1 rule of financial fair play.
They declare that every penny earned through player sales or wage reductions can be reinvested in new transfers, opening the door to more expensive signings than in recent years.
That could see them steer clear of a bargain deal for Rashford and allow Villa to step in and sign the forward ahead of the new campaign.
How could Aston Villa sign Rashford?
The irony of all this is that Barcelona may still sign the loanee permanently this summer.
Bringing him in for £26m feels like a no-brainer, but a sale could be on the cards to make an instant profit within the same transfer window.
The Villans could step in and allow Barca to do exactly that by bringing him to Villa Park after his move to Camp Nou is sealed.
That would benefit them with their 1:1 rules and allow them to pour more money into the transfer market and potentially help do a deal for Alvarez with Atletico Madrid.
It would also seek to benefit Villa as they get to bring in a top player in Rashford who has already made it clear just how good he can be in claret and blue.