Marcus Rashford has broken his silence on leaving boyhood club Manchester United after his completing his loan move to Aston Villa.
Rashford has joined Villa on an initial six-month loan until the end of the season, but the deal also includes an option for the Villains to sign Rashford permanently for a pre-agreed fee, which is understood to be £40million.
Bidding farewell to the club he has been at since he was eight years old, Rashford has endured a tumultuous last few months at United after falling out with new boss Ruben Amorim.
Having not featured for the club since mid-December, a January move away seemed inevitable, with the likes of AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona all linked with the Englishman.
However, it was fellow Premier League outfit Villa who won the race for Rashford, with the winger taking to Instagram to state that the decision to join Unai Emery’s side was an easy one.
‘I would like to thank Manchester United and Aston Villa for making this loan deal happen,’ he wrote.
Marcus Rashford says joining Unai Emery’s Aston Villa side on loan was an ‘easy decision’
Rashford fell out with boss Ruben Amorim and hadn’t played for Man United since December
‘I was lucky to have a few clubs approach me but Aston Villa was an easy decision – I really admire the way that Aston Villa have been playing this season, and the managers’ ambitions. I just want to play football and am excited to get started.’
‘I wish everyone at Manchester United all the best for the rest of the season.’
The England international said goodbye to his teammates on Saturday, speaking to United staff and players at Carrington after being given the green light to prepare for his switch to Villa.
Prior to his departure from Old Trafford, Rashford had missed the last 12 matches under Amorim – who had questioned his lifestyle and commitment.
Amorim even went as far as saying that he’d rather place his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach on the United bench instead of Rashford due to a perceived lack of effort.
A United academy product, Rashford had never donned the colours of another team in his senior career – but with no resolution between manager and player looking likely, the 27-year-old sought pastures new.
It is understood that Villa will cover 70 per cent of his wages – which stand at approximately £350,000 per week – while the loan package will include bonuses for progressing in Europe and for qualifying for the Champions League again next season.
He joins a Villa side in need of attacking reinforcements after Jhon Duran – Emery’s leading goalscorer this season – completed his £65m move to Al-Nassr earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Ollie Watkins – whose goal tally of 11 is one short of Duran – suffered an injury scare on Saturday night and was subbed off at half-time in Villa’s 2-0 defeat at Wolves.
As such, Rashford may be quickly thrown into action for Villa, despite his lack of match sharpness.
