‘Marcus Rashford future decision made at Aston Villa after Unai Emery shock call’
Aston Villa fans are desperate for Marcus Rashford to join permanently this summer, and that wish looks like coming true after Unai Emery’s surprise decision this week.
Rashford and Marco Asensio have been welcome additions to the Villa squad, registering a total of 17 goal contributions for Emery’s side since arriving in the winter transfer window.
With thanks to their impacts on the team, the Villans are just one point off the Champions League qualification spots and also reached the quarter-finals in the European competition.
Lifting the FA Cup trophy at Wembley Stadium is also on the cards, having set up a semi-final clash against Crystal Palace, and Emery will only want to build on this campaign.
Aston Villa to sign Marcus Rashford permanently from Man United
Villa fans are desperate for Rashford to sign permanently this summer, having had such an important impact in the team over the last few weeks, and Emery is clearly happy with the player.
The 27-year-old has started five of the last six matches across all competitions, and rightly so, because few players have managed to put as much fear into the opposition as he has.
Of course, some fans disagreed with his involvement from the start during the 3-2 win over PSG on Tuesday, 15 April, especially in the first half, struggling to get involved at all and often finding himself dispossessed, but Rashford bounced back in style after the break to assist Ezri Konsa and spearhead a fightback.
However, the bigger story of Rashford starting against the Ligue 1 champions, despite being knocked out of the European competition on aggregate, was that Ollie Watkins was left on the bench yet again.
| Player | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Marcus Rashford | 15 | 3 | 5 |
| Ollie Watkins | 46 | 15 | 12 |
Ollie Watkins snubbed from Aston Villa XI yet again
Troy Deeney and Andy Goldstein suggested that Ollie Watkins could push to leave Villa this summer if Emery decided against him for the PSG clash, and that exact scenario emerged at Villa Park.
The 29-year-old has often been overlooked by his manager since Rashford’s arrival, settling for a spot on the bench at the Parc des Princes in the reverse leg, and Emery appears to have chosen his top striker option for next season.
It certainly came as a surprise to the supporters at Villa Park, with Watkins having 15 goals and 12 assists to his name across all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, but Rashford has clearly made a mark.
The manager’s decision appeared to backfire in the first half, but the rationale was clear to see during a stirring period in the second 45 minutes.
Wayne Rooney was so impressed he wants to see Rashford return to Old Trafford to perform in the same manner, although the complications around Ruben Amorim and the mess at Man United may be a moot point if Villa are ready to keep him in Birmingham.
While many refuse to believe that the Villa hierarchy will splash the cash to sign the Man United loanee permanently, Emery already looks to have made that decision for them, likely upsetting Watkins with another snub in the process.