Truth behind Marcus Rashford to Man City claims as Man Utd star eyes dream transfer
Manchester United star Marcus Rashford is expected to leave the club at the end of the season but the Aston Villa loan man's next destination is far from certain
Marcus Rashford's brother and agent Dwaine Maynard was spotted near Manchester City's transfer chiefs during City's recent victory over Aston Villa. However, the England international is still believed to favour a move to Barcelona.
Rashford, 27, has impressed while on loan at Villa Park. He remains likely to leave parent club Manchester United on a permanent basis in the summer, but remains determined to play Champions League football.
That is something he managed this season, with Villa reaching the quarter-finals of the competition and suffering a narrow defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. They face an uphill battle to return, though, with that loss away to City leaving them three points outside the top five with just four matches remaining.
Rashford scored from the penalty spot at the Etihad Stadium, with the first-half goal bringing Villa level. The scores remained tied until deep into stoppage-time, when Matheus Nunes delivered a dramatic late winner for the hosts.
According to The Mail, Maynard's presence a stone's throw from outgoing City transfer chief Txiki Begiristain and his successor Hugo Viana doesn't necessarily mean a deal for Rashford is imminent. The same publication reports that Rashford himself - who has been a United player since the age of seven - has shown no signs of preferring a move to his boyhood club's rivals.
Rashford is set to miss the remainder of the season through injury, but a decision will need to be made in the summer. Villa have an option to buy him for £40million, but he is understood to favour a Barcelona switch.
Barcelona remains a dream destination for the forward, who is not believed to be interested in a move to a London club. His wages of £350,000 per week remain a potential stumbling block, though he is said to be willing to take a pay cut if it means a move to Barcelona can materialise.
Rashford was unavailable for Villa's FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace on Saturday. Unai Emery's team were beaten 3-0, with their manager providing an update on the loanee.
"He's injured. He got injured this week and [Friday] we did a test," Emery said. "It's his hamstring. We are going to try to test him each match but he's injured and probably some weeks he won't be available."
United and Villa are in talks over an early Old Trafford return for the forward. The teams are due to meet on the final weekend of the season, though Premier League loan rules would not permit Rashford to play against his parent club even if he were fit.
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Aston Villa is marking its 150th anniversary with the launch of a new merch collection including shirts, hoodies, books, mugs and scarves.
Top items include the Anniversary Shirt, Anniversary Hoodie and Anniversary Polo Shirt, plus the 150 Years picture books Volume One and Volume Two.