Aston Villa complete stunning loan swoop for international star
Villa have completed a stunning loan swoop for Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford.
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The 27-year-old England international has joined until the end of the season in a deal which will see Villa pay around 75 per cent of his £325,000-a-week salary.
That percentage could rise even further, depending on performance-related bonuses. The deal also includes an option to buy for £40million in the summer.
Villa boss Emery is confident he can revive the England international’s career after he was frozen out at Old Trafford under new boss Ruben Amorim. Rashford has not played for United since December 12.
Villa are also close to completing a loan deal for Paris St-Germain attacker Marco Asensio and still want to bring in a defender before Monday night’s transfer deadline.
Chelsea’s Axel Disasi is high on their list and but the London club are playing hardball and have slapped a £60million valuation on another Villa target, playmaker Joao Felix, effectively ending any chance of that particular deal.
Asensio, meanwhile, is a player Emery has long admired. The 29-year-old Spain international was a three-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid but has struggled for game time in recent months. Villa are covering his entire salary, thought to be more than £200,000-a-week, as part of the agreement.
Emery admitted his squad needed strengthening after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Wolves, during which Ollie Watkins became the latest player to sustain an injury.
Kosta Nedeljkovic is expected to become the sixth player to leave in this window when he joins RB Leipzig on loan, with the deal including an option to buy worth around £12m.
The Serbia international’s exit will enable Villa to register four new players for the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Winger Leon Bailey has been touted as a possible target for Manchester United but an approach is not expected.