Aston Villa is infatuated with Marcus Rashford (28, Manchester United). They are aggressively pursuing Rashford to bring him in.
Spain's 'Marca' reported on the 17th (Korean time), citing England's 'Football Insider,' that Aston Villa is pushing for the full transfer of Rashford, who was brought in on loan from Manchester United (Man U), and is even considering selling the women's team to raise funds.
Rashford was loaned to Aston Villa after failing to secure playing time at Manchester United during the 2024-2025 season. He was classified as surplus to requirements under the management of Ruben Amorim, who succeeded Erik Ten Hag.
Rashford showed signs of revival at Aston Villa under manager Unai Emery. He recorded 4 goals and 6 assists in a total of 17 matches (2 goals and 3 assists in 10 league matches). Though he had no goals in the UEFA Champions League, he contributed to the team with 2 assists.
After the season ends, Rashford is in a situation where he must return to Manchester United. There are local reports suggesting that Barcelona is showing interest in acquiring Rashford.
The media emphasized, "Aston Villa is devising a 'master plan' to fully acquire Rashford after selling the women's team to secure cash, adding that Emery's high regard for Rashford's talent is influencing the club's decision."
Aston Villa's women's team sent their marquee star, Alicia Lehmann, to Juventus before the start of the 2024-2025 season. Aston Villa, having lost their top star, remained in 6th place among 12 teams in the league.
Meanwhile, Chelsea also sold their women's team last year. However, the cases of Aston Villa and Chelsea are different. Aston Villa is looking to sell to facilitate player acquisitions, while Chelsea sold their women's team to a subsidiary as part of a restructuring process to resolve financial issues.
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