Last updated on: September 21, 2025
Marcus Rashford has been one of the most talked about Premier League footballers for quite some time, both on and off the pitch. This season, his name has made the sporting headlines a lot following Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim’s decision to exile him from his squad, and then to sanction a move away from the club. Rashford signed on loan at Aston Villa, and after only a brief time there, there are reasons why they should make his stay permanent.
Rashford, 27, has looked like one of the best left-sided attackers in the world at times during his career. While some will argue that the Mancunian hasn’t been able to sustain his form, others will suggest that he’s not been in the right environment to do so. It’s why a move away from Old Trafford, even on a temporary basis, seemed like the right decision for all parties.
Rashford heading to Villa Park on loan in January until the end of the 2024/25 season saw the Manchester United academy product move to a club where everything seemed a lot better. The Villains are in the Champions League and in the running to qualify for next season’s competition via the league. Bookies have them as the favourite to win most matches, as they’re one of the most feared top-flight outfits, and they have a chance of collecting silverware this season in the form of the FA Cup.
In exchange for all that good stuff, which also includes a proven winner in manager Unai Emery, Rashford had to, at the very least, look something like the player of old. It wasn’t expected that he’d suddenly go from looking like a shadow of his former self into the world-class attacker seen previously. Still, green shoots were expected, especially with the loan deal being an expensive one on Villa’s behalf.
Where the above is concerned, it’s been so far so good. At the time of writing, Rashford has made fifteen appearances for Villa, scoring three times and providing six assists. So, that’s nine-goal contributions in fifteen, which, if you drill down into the numbers further, with Rashford only making nine starts and playing 856 minutes, he averages a direct goal involvement every 90 minutes roughly. It’s some going!
What’s perhaps even more noticeable is that Rashford has started all of Villa’s Champions League games, with their run in the competition coming to an end at the hands of PSG by an aggregate 5-4 scoreline. Rashford played particularly well in Villa’s 3-2 win over the Ligue 1 champions at Villa Park. The England international has also been able to oust Ollie Watkins from the starting XI at times since signing on loan, and they’ve been able to co-exist, too.
If reports of Rashford being available for around £40 million this summer, with Manchester United having to sell before they buy, are true, all the evidence so far supports the idea that this would be somewhat of a steal. Rashford, who has played in his favoured wide left position and through the middle for Villa, is already bringing a lot to the team, and him being part of the squad next season would also allow more flexibility for Emery to rotate when competing on multiple fronts, which had been a problem up until Rashford’s arrival.
