Marcus Rashford has not yet closed the door on a sensational return to Manchester United this summer.
Rashford completed a shock loan move from the Red Devils to Premier League rivals Aston Villa in February with a deal in place until the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
The England international has impressed at Villa Park, as he edges back up to full fitness within Unai Emery’s squad, with two goals and four assists across all competitions.
Emery will make a decision on retaining Rashford once the season ends, with Villa chasing a UEFA Champions League qualification spot via the EPL top five, alongside a potential FA Cup title in May.
The loan agreement between the two clubs includes a £40m [$52.7m] purchase option which Emery will assess with the Villa hierarchy and Rashford is keen on staying in Birmingham.
Ruben Amorim appears unmoved over bringing Rashford back into his plans at Old Trafford, even with the 27-year-old still contracted to the club until 2028, as the Portuguese coach prefers a fresh break.
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As per reports from BBC Sport, Rashford will not make a call on his destination for next season until June, but he is prepared to walk away from United unless Amorim changes his stance.
At this point, Rashford believes it is ‘unlikely’ he will play for United again, after Amorim admitted he could not get the striker to buy into his growing project at the club, and the ongoing financial uncertainty in Manchester could push him towards an exit.
Rashford has reportedly ruled out moving to London, amid links to Tottenham and Crystal Palace, but the main demand he will make is to play Champions League football next season.
With the Premier League granted an extra fifth place in the UCL for 2025/26, Villa are in the hunt with four left games to play, but United’s only route to qualification is by winning the Europa League next month.
Playing in Europe’s top competition is Rashford’s main focus, as he looks to revive his career, but Villa need a powerful end to the season to achieve that goal and rivals bids from EPL teams could emerge to meet his objective.
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