Aston Villa will reportedly have the chance to sign Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford on a permanent basis during this summer's transfer window for £40m.
The 27-year-old is set to undergo a medical with Villa on Sunday, as he prepares to join Unai Emery's side on loan for the second half of the 2024-25 campaign.
Villa emerged as the favourites for Rashford after it became clear that Barcelona would be unable to do a deal due to their financial issues, and the switch is expected to be confirmed by the end of the weekend.
According to The Sun, there is a buy option included in the agreement, with Villa able to purchase him for £40m at the end of the campaign, while Emery's side will also cover a significant portion of his salary.
The report claims that Man United are due to cover 25% of his £325,000-a-week wage packet, which is £81,250, with Villa putting up the rest, which is a huge positive for the Red Devils under the circumstances.
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Villa could sign Rashford permanently for £40m this summer
Rashford has allegedly been told that he will not represent Man United again while Ruben Amorim is the manager.
As a result, unless Amorim is sacked before the end of the season, then it is highly likely that the Englishman has played his last game for the Red Devils, who will now look to bring in a replacement.
Bayern Munich's Mathys Tel, Villa's Leon Bailey and Chelsea's Christopher Nkunku are all believed to be loan options for the 20-time English champions in the latter stages of the transfer window.
Rashford has not featured for Man United since December 12, with the forward initially being overlooked due to poor performances in training and his general behaviour around Carrington.
Almost two months on, the situation has not changed, with Amorim still unhappy with what he is seeing from Rashford, but the questions surrounding the attacker's absence are now set to end.
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When could Rashford make his Villa debut?
Rashford is far from match fit, having not featured for almost two months, so Villa will be careful when it comes to the forward, who is likely to first be used off the bench while he gets used to his new surroundings.
However, it is entirely possible that the forward will be involved in Villa's FA Cup fourth-round contest with Tottenham Hotspur next Sunday, with a view to then featuring in the Premier League against Ipswich Town on February 15.
Matt Law
