So now we know. Aston Villa are on the lookout for a new centre-forward and Marcus Rashford’s future is closely connected to their search.
If Unai Emery ignores Ollie Watkins for all but 17 minutes of Aston Villa’s biggest game for a generation, it suggests he has lost some faith in the England forward. Villa will surely listen to offers for Watkins this summer – though finding a club to meet the asking price for a player who turns 30 in December might be tricky.
Villa turned down about £45million from Arsenal for Watkins in January. The question now surrounds who will be his long-term replacement, and Villa will be far more appealing to potential targets if they can compete on Europe’s grandest stage again next season.
Fourth-placed Newcastle, who are two points clear of Emery’s men, visit Villa Park on Saturday. Villa then travel to Manchester City, currently one point above them, on April 22. Win those, and Villa will be in the box seat for a top-five finish and a second straight season in the Champions League.
Rashford’s spell at Villa has been fascinating. He can drift to the margins of a game for long spells only to produce moments of inspiration that most others in the squad cannot.
A classic example was Tuesday’s thrilling clash with Paris Saint-Germain, when Villa won 3-2 but missed out on a place in the Champions League semi-finals despite that roaring fightback. Little went right for Rashford in the first half and he lost the ball 14 times across the game. Yet in the second half, he produced a fabulous run and shot that drew an even better save from Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Marcus Rashford was preferred to Ollie Watkins against PSG and produced some moments of magic in the second half
Watkins has become a peripheral figure in recent weeks after Villa rejected a bid from Arsenal in January
It has become clear that Unai Emery wants a new striker this summer, but whether that will be Rashford on a permanent deal remains to be seen
Moments later, Rashford tricked his way past Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha and played the perfect pass for Ezri Konsa to score the third. Many forwards could go through a whole season without delivering what Rashford did in those few minutes.
Does it mean he is Villa’s long-term No9? There are several obstacles to clear to make that a reality.
First, the circumstances of player and club. Without Champions League football, it is difficult to see how Villa sign Rashford, despite their £40million buy option. The 27-year-old earns £325,000 a week at Manchester United and has shown enough during this spell at Villa to generate interest among other clubs.
Second, even if Villa do qualify again for Europe’s main club competition, can they commit a significant proportion of their wage budget to a player who turns 28 in October? Assuming he signs a four or five-year contract, that is a huge outlay, especially as Rashford will have little resale value at the end of his deal. Three goals and five assists on loan is decent but does not demand breaking the bank.
Villa’s plan has always been to target a young player who can lead their attack for years. They tried hard to make Jhon Duran that man, but the Colombian is a complex character and when Villa needed to sell last winter, £66.5million from Saudi club Al-Nassr was too good to turn down.
If Villa make the top five, the most sensible option for the club and Rashford may be a season-long loan deal. By signing Rashford and Marco Asensio on loan, Emery has shown he is willing to embrace temporary solutions in the market.
Emery is becoming increasingly convinced that modern attackers must be versatile and he likes being able to use Rashford through the middle and off the left.
If United sell, they would prefer to do so permanently. Yet the market is obsessed with youth. Clubs who could afford the fee and wages for Rashford would generally rather spend it on younger players.
Emery likes the versatility that Rashford brings to his team, with the forward about to play through the middle or on the left
But he may look to move forward with a proven performer like Barcelona’s Ferran Torres
That is why the loan option could be so attractive. Rashford would be at a club where he is loved by supporters, with a manager who trusts him and where he would play regularly in a World Cup year.
A loan would also release funds for Villa to chase a centre-forward – either a proven performer like Ferran Torres of Barcelona, or a player who could be developed across the season by Emery before becoming the main man for the 2026-27 campaign.
Emery has been backed handsomely as Villa boss, and repaid the club brilliantly. But results over the next few weeks will determine how effectively Villa can operate in the market this summer.
