Marcus Rashford drops major hint over his future in emotional message to Aston Villa fans
Tom Olver
Marcus Rashford has hinted he does not expect to continue his stay at Aston Villa in a touching message to the club’s fans after their Champions League qualification heartbreak.
The 27-year-old completed a January loan move to Villa after revealing his plans to seek a fresh challenge away from Manchester United – the team he joined at the age of just seven.
Ruben Amorim had been heavily critical of Rashford’s attitude and approach to training and the England international was effectively frozen out of the first-team by the Portuguese at Old Trafford.
But Rashford found a new lease of life under at Villa under Unai Emery – racking up four goals and six assists in 17 appearances – and reports in February claimed the attacker was keen for his deal to be made permanent in the summer.
However, Barcelona have since emerged as Rashford’s ‘dream club’ and the newly crowned Spanish champions have held initial talks with a view to signing the forward for next season.
It’s understood Rashford has even enlisted the help of super-agent Pini Zahavi to get a move to the Camp Nou over the line when the transfer window opens for business.
A hamstring injury meant Rashford missed the end of Villa’s campaign as Emery’s men missed out on next year’s Champions League following a controversial final-day loss to Manchester United.
The morning after Villa’s defeat, Rashford – who was ineligible for the clash – took to Instagram to write: ‘Just a message of thanks to everyone here at Villa for what has (injury aside) been an incredible few months for me.
‘It is a really special club and I appreciated the way Villa fans embraced me with open arms from 1st minute on the pitch.
‘Manager, team, and coaching staff have all been brilliant.
‘I know it is a huge disappointment not to have made the Champions League place which everyone worked so hard all season for but I know this club and team will come back stronger. [love heart emoji]’
Chris Eubank Jr v Conor Benn: Fatal Fury - Fight Night
Rashford looks certain to leave Manchester United this summer (Picture: Getty)
Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Amorim and Harry Maguire preview Europa League final
Rashford still has three years remaining on his £315,000-a-week contract at United.
The Red Devils have slapped a £40million asking price on Rashford, with INEOS preparing a major overhaul of Amorim’s squad over the coming weeks and months.
It’s understood Rashford would be ready to accept a significant pay cut to push through a move to Barcelona.
Facing the media ahead of Barca’s win over Athletic Bilbao, Hansi Flick sang the praises of Rashford and Luis Diaz, who have both been linked with moves to Catalonia.
They are both fantastic players. I like them and we’ll see what happens,’ the Barca head coach told reporters.
Barca sporting director Deco echoed Flick’s comments, telling RAC1: ‘We like Luis and we like Rashford.
‘However, we can’t talk about players who are under contract.
‘For me, it’s much more important to improve what we have at home.’
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings