Aston Villa: Everything Unai Emery has said about Marcus Rashford as Barcelona decision confirmed
Aston Villa will have the chance to make a returning move for Marcus Rashford after Barcelona reportedly opted against signing him.
The La Liga champions have passed up the £26million buy option in the winger's contract, and he is now set to return to Manchester United.
The 28-year-old will likely have his future decided when England's World Cup campaign comes to an end, with an exit from Old Trafford still expected.
Rashford spent the second half of the 2024-25 season on loan at Villa, and there has been suspicion that Unai Emery would like him back.
The Villans are not expected to make a permanent move for free agent Jadon Sancho, while Morgan Rogers could be on the move this summer.
After securing Champions League football and winning the Europa League, decision-makers at Villa Park will fancy themselves a significant draw for any talented player.
Everything Unai Emery said on 'good guy' Marcus Rashford
Fabrizio Romano reported on Wednesday that Barcelona will not trigger the buy option to sign Rashford.
Villa transfer chiefs and potential suitors elsewhere will have been placed on notice by the decision, which has come as a surprise.
The Spanish giants have already signed Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United in a deal worth around £69m this summer, but were still expected to agree a deal for a player who netted 14 and assisted 11 across all competitions.
Romano reports that Barcelona will explore another loan deal if Man United open the door to the possibility, but with two years remaining on Rashford's deal, a sale will be prioritised.
With Rashford having expressed his gratitude towards Emery in an Instagram story last month, the pair's reunion would make a lot of sense.
Speaking about the forward in February last year, the Spaniard said: "He is a good guy, he is humble, he is a very good professional player, he is really happy with his team-mates.
"He has been demanding of himself. I think he is playing free. The first thing is to try and connect with him as a person, then after that to connect with him as a player.
"His process here is getting better as well. He is playing in two different positions, he started as a left winger, now he is playing more as a striker. We want to find how he can exploit his qualities as best as possible with us. This is the process we have, still work to do, still process to do, but the most important is his feeling.
"We are seeing him smiling. It is the best news we can have. I am seeing him happy, I am seeing him committed with everything we are doing."
Rashford would be a coup for Aston Villa
It is easy to forget just how good an in-form Rashford can be, but last season was a nice reminder.
In his best seasons for Man United, the 28-year-old was netting 17 Premier League goals, adding seven assists to that tally in the 2019-20 campaign.
If Emery and Villa can get Rashford anywhere near those levels, then they will have secured a massive coup.
"I think his potential is huge potential to exploit," said Emery after the winger's arrival had been confirmed last year.
Barcelona's decision has given the Spaniard another chance to exploit that potential, and he could do something special with it.