Marcus Rashford has joined Aston Villa on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season, bringing to an end the saga around the England international’s future.
Sources have told ESPN that the deal contains an option to make the transfer permanent. Villa have agreed to cover a substantial part of the player’s wage, and other performance-related bonuses have been built into the deal.
If Villa do not take up their option, Rashford will be expected back at Old Trafford in the summer.
“I would like to thank Manchester United and Aston Villa for making this loan deal happen,” Rashford wrote in a post on Instagram after the move was confirmed.
“I was lucky to have a few clubs approach me but Aston Villa was an easy decision — I really admire the way that Aston Villa have been playing this season, and the managers’ ambitions. I just want to play football and am excited to get started. I wish everyone at Manchester United all the best for the rest of the season.”
Rashford had not featured in a matchday squad for United since a Europa League win over Viktoria Plzen on Dec. 12 with head coach Ruben Amorim saying Rashford “has to change” in order to force his way back into the matchday squad.
The 27-year-old said in December that he was “ready for a new challenge” after he was omitted from United’s squad for the derby against Manchester City on Dec. 15.
Villa had been searching for an option to reinforce their attack after sanctioning Jhon Durán’s exit to Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League on Jan. 31, and now Unai Emery can call upon Rashford’s considerable experience for the second half of the season after they reached the round of 16 in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Rashford’s departure, though temporary for the meantime, seems likely to spell the end of his 20-year association with United after he came through the club’s academy and broke into the first team at the age of 18.
A source told ESPN that Rashford’s initial preference was to move to Barcelona. However, the LaLiga side’s financial constraints made a deal complicated.
Borussia Dortmund also expressed interest in Rashford, but his weekly wage of around £350,000-a-week ($434,000) proved to be a major stumbling block.
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