Marcus Rashford responds to Aston Villa announcement as transfers confirmed

Marcus Rashford responds to Aston Villa announcement as transfers confirmed

Aston Villa have officially said goodbye to five of their players as speculation remains over Marcus Rashford’s future prospects.

Rashford arrived mid-season at Villa Park after being deemed surplus to requirements by Ruben Amorim at Manchester United, producing four goals and six assists across 17 appearances in all competitions.

Unai Emery made up for the January losses of Jaden Philogene and Jhon Duran by signing Rashford and Marco Asensio on loan from United and PSG respectively, as well as Donyell Malen on a permanent deal.

The 27-year-old England forward’s future is up in the air though after Villa’s failure to qualify for the Champions League, and it’s unclear how feasible a prospective £40million move for Rashford would be.

Villa missed out on the Champions League via goal difference (Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media)

Aston Villa wave goodbye to Rashford in new announcement

None of Asensio, Rashford, nor Axel Disasi’s loan moves to Villa Park came with obligations to make their spells permanent at the end of the season, and no agreements have been struck since its conclusion.

Villa posted on their official Instagram page on 30 June to mark the end of their financial calendar, and gave an update on the futures of their three loanees as well as two of Emery‘s out-of-contract players.

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The Lions’ statement said: “Aston Villa would like to thank Robin Olsen and Kortney Hause following the expiration of their contracts, as well as our loan players as they return to their respective parent clubs.”

Olsen’s departure had already been confirmed by Villa with a move to Malmo lined up for the Swede, while Hause will enter the free agency market after zero appearances across the past three seasons.

Aston Villa make transfer plans clear in ‘thank you’ message

Football Insider Verdict

The summer transfer window can be more unpredictable than football’s on-field action at times, but Villa’s failiure to even name Rashford, Asensio or Disasi in their exit announcement isn’t the best sign.

Unable to offer Champions League football next season, Villa may not be shopping at the very top table when it comes to this summer’s transfers, but their statement suggests that optimism is even lower.

Football Insider revealed on Monday that Villa were “confident” in avoiding a PSR breach and plan to sell the likes of Emi Martinez, but it’s unlikely that such sales will allow a big-money move for a player of Rashford’s quality this summer.

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