‘Aston Villa to sign Chelsea’s Noni Madueke in place of Marcus Rashford’
Unai Emery has the chance to quickly move on from Marcus Rashford as Aston Villa eye a new forward for the 2025/26 campaign.
The Man United loanee was an instant hit at Villa Park during the second half of the campaign, with many supporters wanting the club to strike a permanent deal for the attacker.
Despite his four goals and five assists in 17 games, the Villans cruelly missed out on Champions League qualification following an incredible refereeing blunder from Thomas Bramall.
Missing out on the elite European competition has likely thrown a wrench into Emery’s transfer plans for the summer, with PSR restrictions rearing their ugly head in the Midlands.
Now, it appears that Rashford is favouring a move to Barcelona, having been unable to agree a deal during the winter transfer window, and the Villans must turn their attention to different options.
Aston Villa ready to sign Marcus Rashford 2.0
With Marco Asensio also unlikely to return from the Parc des Princes, Emery needs to find alternative new signings that can help Villa compete in the top half of the Premier League and in Europe.
As recently as April, Football Insider understood that Villa had been given encouragement in their pursuit of Chelsea’s Noni Madueke, though Tottenham are also in for the star’s signature.
The 23-year-old left-winger notched 11 goals and four assists across all competitions in 2024/25, announcing himself as a regular starter for Enzo Maresca‘s side.
However, according to The Guardian (3 June), the Blues are now open to offers for the attacker, with the feeling inside Stamford Bridge that his development has stalled since arriving from PSV Eindhoven.
Unai Emery to pounce on Chelsea’s mass exodus
While Rashford normally occupied the left flank, and Madueke appears more comfortable on the opposite side, the latter being left-footed allows him to feature on either wing.
The Chelsea star prefers cutting in on his left and firing at goal, but with the likes of Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, and the late-arriving Amadou Onana, his wicked crosses could cause a lot of damage at Villa Park.
It remains to be seen how much the deal would set the Villans back this summer, but with Mick Brown telling Football Insider that Tottenham lead the race for Madueke, Emery needs to act quickly.
Signing Rashford permanently would have been a sensational move for Emery’s side, but with the player waiting to sign at the Nou Camp, a Chelsea option could be the next best answer as the never-ending transfer operation continues this summer at Stamford Bridge.
Paul Robinson has stated that Chelsea and Tottenham never do business due to their rivalry, which, if that is the case this summer, Villa have a great chance to jump ahead of the pack and seal the deal.