In recent weeks Aston Villa’s season has risked falling off a cliff edge. Unai Emery’s side have been knocked out of the Champions League by PSG, lost to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-final, and conceded a late winner to Manchester City in a huge blow to their top-five hopes.
Whilst Champions League qualification is still on the cards, Villa currently sit three points off fifth-placed Chelsea. They face Fulham, Bournemouth, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in their remaining games - a less than easy run-in.
Their January loan signing of Marcus Rashford looks to have been an inspired move, with the English forward heavily linked to one of the biggest clubs in the world on the back of his performances.
Marcus Rashford is going for £40 million - but not everyone is willing to pay it
The 27-year-old has been heavily linked with Barcelona in the last 12 months, but newspaper reports now suggest that the Spanish giants are unwilling to spend the £40 million that would secure his services.
Manchester United agreed a £40 million option-to-buy with Aston Villa, meaning that any potential suitors would have to pay that valuation as a minimum, with the Catalan club seemingly reluctant to spend that money.
Villa seemed to miss Rashford in their 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Wembley. He missed that game due to a hamstring injury which could see him ruled out for the rest of the season. Despite this, links to Barcelona continue.
Aston Villa are now rumoured to be in talks with United regarding the length of Rashford’s loan stay given he may not be fit again to play this season.
Whether Villa would be willing to meet Rashford’s large wage demands for a permanent move remains to be seen.
It is unlikely that Rashford, who scored over 100 goals for Manchester United, will ever play for his boyhood club again due to the breakdown in relationship between himself and Ruben Amorim, and the need for the club to bring in money to fund rumoured moves for Matheus Cunha and Liam Delap.
This leaves Barcelona as Rashford’s desired destination, given the stature of the club and the guarantee of Champions League football.
The La Liga leaders have been in phenomenal form this season but lack back-ups for the excellent trio of Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha.
Yet Barcelona lack a huge transfer pot leaving the £40 million price tag a potential stumbling block for Rashford’s dream career move.
Rashford has 10 goal contributions in 17 games for Aston Villa since his move in January, and in FourFourTwo’s opinion, it’s clear to see the energetic, fearless wing-play that made him such a clear young talent at Manchester United has returned in some form.
