Hunting For Aston Villa Continues, Marcus Rashford One Step Again

Marcus Rashford (left) is the target of Aston Villa (Instagram/@marcusrashford).

JAKARTA - Aston Villa is interested in signing Marcus Rashford before the transfer deadline on February 3, 2025. Rashford is available after being frozen by head coach of Manchester United, Ruben Amorim.

Aston Villa almost agreed to a loan deal for Marcus Rashford. He will move to Villa Park until the end of the season.

The Villans have agreed to most of Rashford's salary while bonuses related to other performance have been included in the deal.

There is also an option to make the move permanent at the end of the season.

If Villa doesn't take their lead, Rashford is expected to return to Old Trafford in the summer.

The 27-year-old actually prefers to move to Barcelona. However, the financial constraints of the La Liga team have made the deal complicated.

Borussia Dortmund has also expressed interest in Rashford, but her salary of around 350,000 per week proves to be a big obstacle.

Villa are looking for an option to strengthen their attacking line after releasing striker Jhon Duran to Al Nassr.

They have asked questions about the possibility of signing Rashford, who has not featured for Manchester United since a 2-1 win over FC Viktoria Plzen on December 12, 2024.

Aston Villa still has an alternative while finalizing the final deal with Rashford. Joao Felix and Marco Asensio are on the candidate list to strengthen their attack line in this transfer window.

The statement was delivered directly by The Villans Operations Director, Monchi, after Jhon Duran officially entered the Saudi Arabian Pro League with a dowry of 85 million euros on Friday, January 31, 2025.

In Al Nassr, the Colombian striker will earn five times his salary at Villa.

"Among the set and variable quantities, we are close to 85 million euros, so we have received it."

"It's an important transfer for very good players with extraordinary potential. However, offers like this, for clubs and players, are difficult to turn down because of the numbers. We evaluated the pros and cons and decided to accept them."

"(We cannot compete with Saudi Arabia) in terms of transfer fees and salaries. In the Duran case, it (the salary offered by Al Nassr) is five times the salary he received at Aston Villa."

"He already has an important salary at Villa that we updated three months ago," Monchi told Cadena SER.

Villa want to recruit attackers before the transfer window closes on Monday, February 3, 2025, with Felix and Asensio as another prime targets, under the name Rashford.

"Regarding the names we are considering and the profile sought (visil Villa coach) Unai (Emery)."

"They (Felix and Asensio) are similar players and according to Unai's wishes," Monchi said.

Felix, 25, reportedly wants to leave Chelsea for playing time.

The Portuguese forward has only recorded 363 minutes in the Premier League this season -- scoring one goal in the 12 appearances -- since joining a permanent transfer from Atletico Madrid last summer.

Meanwhile, Asensio has failed to meet expectations at Paris Saint-Germain since his arrival from Real Madrid in the summer of 2023.

The Spanish forward has scored two goals in 16 appearances in all competitions this season.

"One month before I arrived at Villa, two summers ago, Aston Villa tried to sign Asensio before he decided to join PSG."

"We've tried bringing in Felix at all transfer markets. We almost got him last summer, but he decided to go to Chelsea in a player swap deal that led (Conor) Gallagher to join Atletico Madrid."

"We can't bring him in. He's always been a target. It's not an easy operation, one in terms of salary and one in terms of transfer fees."

"It's not easy, but I can't deny that they are players who attract Unai," Monchi said.

Monchi believes that Villa and Emery will offer Felix the right environment to achieve success.

The Portugal international has not met expectations since joining Atletico for 126 million euros from Benfica in July 2019.

"If there's a coach in the world of football who can restore players and bring out the best, it's Unai Emery."

"He did it in Valencia, Sevilla, Villarreal, and Aston Villa. Unai was able to recover talent."

"In the Joao Felix case, he has it. This is a case of looking at the right environment to get the best out of the players. Unai did a good job in the department," Monchi said.

Aston Villa needs to strengthen the front line of what now remains of Watkins after Jhon Duran's departure.

Initially, Watkins also almost left because he received a serious offer from Arsenal.

Arsenal made an official offer for the England National Team player on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, to overcome their difficulties in front of goal. However, the offer was rejected by Villa.

A total of 19 goals from the Watkins league last season brought Villa to the Champions League for the first time in 41 years. This season, he is the club's top scorer in the Premier League with 10 goals.

Although the 29-year-old had previously expressed his desire to play for Arsenal, Emery said the 29-year-old saw his future at Villa Park.

"Yes, he is happy to survive. We asked him how he felt every day and year as long as he was here with Villa and he was happy here."

"Komitmen baryal Watkins terhadap kami merupakan komitmen yang besar. Ia sangat menghargai bagaimana Villa selalu mendukung dan membantunya, ketika kami bergabung di sini dua tahun lalu, bagaimana kami bekerja dengannya dan mendapatkan yang terbaik darinya."

"Now we need it, like he needs Aston Villa in recent years."

"I talked a lot to him, he's always adapted to every situation we've faced."

"Of course when some teams contacted us because they were attracted to the players, it was very good for us and the players."

"Some players prefer to leave and some accept to stay here and are committed to our challenges. One of them is wary Watkins," Emery told a news conference on Friday, January 31, 2025.