Marcus Rashford is reportedly “close to agreeing” a loan move to Aston Villa before the January transfer window closes.
The Manchester United forward has fallen out of favour with manager Ruben Amorim, who has not played the 27-year-old since the 2-1 win over Viktoria Plzen in the Uefa Europa League on 12 December.
Rashford has been linked with a number of clubs in Europe, including Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan, but Villa have quickly jumped to the top of the queue after entering the race this week.
The Midlands outfit have made “significant progress” on a potential deal, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein and Laurie Whitwell, who claim an option to buy will be included.
Villa will cover a “significant portion” of Rashford’s salary, although the proposed move is yet to be finalised. The club are said to be working on financial terms and are trying to “convince the player” ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline.
The prospect of playing Champions League football is “an appeal” for Rashford, while Unai Emery is “fully behind the approach” after requesting the club enter talks for the England international.
