Will the Marcus Rashford gamble pay off for Aston Villa?
Marcus Rashford was born to play for Manchester United and many viewed the boy from Wythenshawe as a one club man. Rashford was destined to wear the Red and White but has now seemingly worn those famous colours for the last time.
With the world at his feet, Rashford was destined to succeed at Old Trafford. However, there comes a time where players must make a decision when things just aren’t how they once were.
The United Academy graduate is now departing Old Trafford and heading to Aston Villa. Unai Emery is willing to take a chance on the 27 year old, but will such a gamble pay off?
What Went Wrong In Manchester, Marcus?
It is impossible to deny that Rashford didn’t carry United on his back during some tough times. 17 goal seasons in the Premier League in both 2019/20 and 2022/23, there was always an undeniable top level talent within.
However, continuing those levels of ‘world class’ performance levels was something Rashford struggled with. Of course, by no means is all of the blame on Rashford - some of the sides he has been a part of at United have been incredibly poor during this weird transition period for the club.
Rashford’s work rate and dedication was questioned a number of times by pundits and fans. It would appear, to some, that his die hard passion for United was fading - whilst his off field behaviour which involved lots of partying and nights out were also being linked to his periods of poor form.
The arrival of Ruben Amorim instantly saw a number of changes. Players were removed from the first team squad as the Portuguese boss looked to transform standards to that of which United should have.
This saw Rashford exiled from matchday squads with Amorim not failing to shy away from talking about the decisions in press conferences. He insisted that it is ‘nothing personal’ with the Englishman but he would ‘need to change’ to get his spot back in the squad.
It was inevitably the beginning of the end when Amorim would talk about the standards at the club and work ethic he demanded from his players. Reports then emerged that Rashford was subject to interest from a number of clubs regarding a January move away from Old Trafford.
Rashford’s Old Trafford Exit
Many clubs were alerted that Rashford was looking for a move, to kick start a new chapter in his football journey. Barcelona, Napoli, Arsenal, Milan and many others were amongst the early interests.
United were open to both a permanent and loan deal but many clubs showed a reluctance to pay their asking price. It became clear that a loan deal would be the most suitable option for all involved.
As January moved on, a departure was becoming unlikely with Rashford’s number one choice Barcelona unable to facilitate a loan move. However, one move involving Saudi Arabia would kickstart an instant domino effect throwing the forward a lifeline.
Unai Emery Believes In Rashford
Jhon Duran would depart Aston Villa in the final week of January following a big money contract and cash offer from Al Nassr. It left Emery with a huge hole to fill in his squad with murmurs of a new bid from Arsenal for Ollie Watkins also putting pressure in the last days of the transfer window.
Villa decided to move for Rashford on loan and seemingly convinced the player to take up their offer swiftly. Within less than a day of the first report, Fabrizio Romano posted his famous ‘Here We Go’ and the deal was close to completion.
David Ornstein posted about the deal as well but included an interesting piece of information about why Emery has pursued a deal for Rashford, who has seemingly deemed not good enough for another manager's standards.
“Unai Emery believes Marcus Rashford is one of the world’s most dangerous attacking players who he can help return to his best form”.
Will the Gamble Pay Off?
It all seems so similar to Jesse Lingard’s loan move to West Ham all those years ago. A move which allowed the player to thrive in a new environment which might just be what Rashford needs.
Less pressure, a manager who believes he can fix the forward, this could be exactly what really gives the 27 year old the drive to knuckle down and work hard on his football.
Rashford will have the chance to play in the UEFA Champions League, giving him the platform to silence his critics.
It seems as though Rashford’s time at United has come to an end. A player that lived his dreams still has the chance to shine once again and I for one hope that he can succeed in the sport until his playing days are over.