Aston Villa are allegedly leaning towards signing Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford on a permanent basis.
Having fallen out of favour at Old Trafford, Rashford was available throughout the January transfer window, with a number of European clubs initially eager to secure his signature.
However, it was Villa who ultimately won the race for the England international on a loan deal until the end of the season, the West Midlands outfit also possessing the option to push through a permanent deal in the summer.
Rashford has since been provided with one start and three substitute outings by Unai Emery, playing a pivotal role in Villa's 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Saturday evening.
According to Football Insider, Villa are now close to making a decision on whether they wish to splash the case on the 27-year-old.
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Long-term Villa stay for Rashford?
The report alleges that Villa are eager to accelerate their plan to sign Rashford on what would be a £40m deal.
Former scout Mick Brown, a regular contributor to the outlet, suggests Villa will be of the opinion they want clarity over the situation.
He said: "At Villa, their team is more organised and set up in a way that he is still expected to get back, but there are players who are prepared to cover for him.
"That allows him to perform to his best level at what he does without worrying about everything else. It's the ideal situation for him, really, and they're getting the benefits of it already.
"He'll have to keep up the form he has shown so far, but if he can do that there's no reason they won't want to keep him beyond this season.
"He's doing all the things elite forwards can do – so on that basis I expect Villa will be putting plans in place to make a move in the summer."
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An ideal scenario for all concerned?
United head coach Ruben Amorim made it clear before Rashford's departure that there was little to no prospect of Rashford being reintegrated back into his squad.
Furthermore, United are also in desperate need of the transfer fee that would come with Rashford's sale in order for the Portuguese to sign his desired targets.
Any fee shelled out by Villa for Rashford is lower than what they received for Jhon Duran, while Rashford brings more versatility than the Colombian who has signed for Al-Nassr.
Providing that Rashford stays fit, there is no reason why he will not be finalising a transfer to Villa at the end of the season.
Darren Plant
