It seems as though the prolonged divorce saga between Marcus Rashford and Manchester United is finally nearing an end, according to reports on Saturday.
Since mid-December, Rashford has had one foot out the door, with United eager to offload one of the highest earners on their wage bill and the forward publicly stating he was ready for a new challenge.
After links with European giants AC Milan and Barcelona, it seems as though Rashford is now set for a loan move closer to home. David Ornstein of the Athletic reported on Saturday morning that Aston Villa are on the verge of agreeing a loan deal for the 27-year-old.
Ornstein suggestst that the deal has not been finalised, with some details still to be agreed, but "significant" progress has been made. Villa are set to contribute to Rashford's wages during the loan spell, while the Villans will also have an option to buy at the end of Rashford's time on loan.
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Marcus Rashford on verge of Aston Villa move
On the face of it, this could be a very positive move for Marcus Rashford. He is likely to enjoy regular game time at Aston Villa, especially after the departure of Jhon Duran to the Saudi Pro League earlier this week.
Manager Unai Emery has a track record of getting the best out of forwards, with Villa's attacking play among the best in the Premier League. Rashford will hope that regular appearances alongside the likes of Ollie Watkins and co will rejuvenate his attacking play, which has seemed out of kilter for some time now.
Most significantly, Aston Villa are a Champions League club - something which cannot be said of Manchester United. A 4-2 victory over Celtic on the final day of the league phase ensured that Villa will be in the last 16, giving Rashford a chance to prove himself on the European stage.
However, there is no doubt Rashford and many Manchester United fans will look back with sadness on what looks to be the end of his time at his boyhood club.
Marcus Rashford after scoring in the 2023 EFL Cup final (Photo: Shutterstock)
Marcus Rashford has been with United for two decades, joining the club's academy at the age of seven. He has scored 138 goals in 426 appearances for the club, including some big goals in the latter stages of cup competitions and against "Big Six" opposition.
However, discipline issues have cropped up in recent years. Erik ten Hag omitted Rashford from two matchday squads last year after late nights out, one taking him to Belfast just hours before a training session for which he called in sick.
An ugly saga has now played out under new head coach Ruben Amorim. December's Manchester derby saw Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho excluded from the squad, and Rashford has been included in just one matchday squad since, as an unused substitute against Newcastle.
Throughout, the press have swirled around Rashford and ex-players have lined up to take shots at the character of the 27-year-old forward. Things came to a head last weekend when Amorim suggested that he would sooner put the club's goalkeeping coach in the team than Rashford.
Though Amorim rowed back on those comments and suggested United would be "better" with Rashford in the team, it's evident that Rashford is unlikely to play for the club again.
Former players, fans, and punters have all accused Rashford of playing a "PR" game in recent weeks. If that is true, Rashford needs to hire better publicists.
While he has been accused of repeated ill discipline, slandered for his commitment in training, frozen out from the United squad and publicly slated by his manager, Rashford has been relatively quiet. His only social media activity has seen him wish his teammates well. Even the infamous interview where he said he was ready for a new challenge saw him say that, if he did have to leave, he wanted to do so on good terms.
Marcus Rashford is undoubtedly jaded and something has been wrong for the Englishman at Manchester United for some time. We may never fully know the issues that caused his relationship with Ruben Amorim to deteriorate so quickly but a move is now needed.
Rashford is not blameless either. He can only blame himself for the aforementioned disciplinary issues, and his form has flip-flopped in recent years.
However, it is hard not to look at this whole situation and wonder how it has ended up going so badly wrong. A boyhood Manchester United fan who immediately established himself as an essential first-team player at the age of just 18, for Rashford's time at the club to end with such a prolonged split is depressingly ugly.
One cannot help but wonder what could have been had Rashford's time at Manchester United come in a different era. A hugely talented player, something has been lost in Rashford for some time and it has become clear that, for one reason or another, Old Trafford is unlikely to be the place he rediscovers it.
Amid all the chaos and publicity, this projected move to a steady club with an attacking philosophy may end up being just what Marcus Rashford needs, as painful as that may be for him and Manchester United fans to come to terms with.
