- Aston Villa are interested in a move for Marcus Rashford before the deadline
- Villa could turn to Rashford, whose potential switch to Barcelona is unlikely
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Ollie Watkins to Arsenal? It’s terrible planning from Arsenal… it’s all a bit late and panicked from the Gunners!
Aston Villa are weighing up a loan move for Marcus Rashford in what is likely to be a busy weekend of transfer activity for Unai Emery’s side.
The Manchester United forward is out of favour at Old Trafford and will be allowed to leave before the window closes on Monday.
Villa are keen to add at least one attacking player before the window closes and are also in talks for Chelsea’s Joao Felix and Marco Asensio, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain.
Rashford’s wages of about £350,000 are well in excess of the salary of Villa’s top earner, thought to be goalkeeper Emi Martinez, and he would also lack match fitness having not played a competitive match since December 12.
Though Arsenal believed Watkins was open to joining them, Emery tried to shut down the move on Friday, with Villa preparing to take on Wolves at Molineux on Saturday.
The Gunners made an offer for Watkins hours before Villa’s 4-2 win over Celtic in the Champions League last Wednesday – even though Villa were close to selling Jhon Duran, their other centre-forward, to Al Nassr, with that deal expected to go through on Friday.
Aston Villa have entered the race to sign Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford
United are looking to bring in Rashford as Jhon Duran closes in on a switch to Al-Nassr
Villa manager Unai Emery has made a personal request to attempt to bring in Rashford
Emery would say after the Celtic only that he ‘wanted’ to keep Watkins at Villa Park but he was far more clear on the matter on Friday.
Asked whether he could state that Watkins was not for sale, Emery said: ‘Yes, yes. We talked with him and he is very focused on the message we have.
‘He is happy to stay. You can ask him, but we asked him how he is feeling every day, every year he has been here with Aston Villa, with us and without us.’
‘The commitment of Ollie Watkins with us is a huge commitment. He appreciates a lot how Aston Villa were always supporting him, helping him, and when we arrived here two years ago, how we worked with him, always trying to get the best of him.
‘Now we need him, like he needed Aston Villa. I am speaking with him a lot and he is always adapting of every circumstance we have in the squad.
‘When some teams call us to show interest in the players, of course it is very good for us and very good for the players.
‘Some players prefer to leave and some players accept to stay here, to be here and commit with us. One of those is Ollie Watkins.’
