Marcus Rashford has officially completed his loan move from Manchester United to Aston Villa, potentially signaling the end of his tenure at Old Trafford.
The Midlands club announced the deal on Sunday, confirming that Rashford joins on an initial loan with an option to make the transfer permanent in the summer for a reported fee of £40 million.
“Aston Villa is delighted to announce the loan signing of Marcus Rashford from Manchester United,” the club wrote on its social media pages.
As part of the agreement, Aston Villa will cover a significant portion of Rashford’s £325,000-a-week salary, with the share potentially rising to 90% based on the forward’s performance during his loan spell.
Following the announcement, Rashford took to Instagram to express his gratitude and excitement about the move:
“I would like to thank Manchester United and Aston Villa for making this loan deal happen.
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 move follows a turbulent period for Rashford, who has fallen out of favor under United’s new manager, Ruben Amorim.
Despite starting and scoring in Amorim’s debut match against Ipswich Town in November, the 27-year-old was surprisingly dropped from the squad for December’s Manchester derby. Since then, Rashford has not featured in United’s last 12 matches across all competitions.
The England international, a product of United’s academy, made his senior debut under Louis van Gaal in 2016 at the age of 18.
Over the years, Rashford became a fan favorite, contributing to key moments on the pitch. However, his relationship with the club has cooled this season despite scoring seven goals in 24 appearances in all competitions.