Man Utd eye move for new “unplayable” ace to replace Rashford

Manchester United are now considering a late swoop for an “unplayable” Premier League attacker, with Marcus Rashford closing in on a move to Aston Villa, according to Sky Sports.

Rashford’s time at Old Trafford coming to an end

Rashford has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford ever since a bombshell interview in December, in which the forward expressed he is “ready for a new challenge”, and he is now set to seal a move away from his boyhood club.

The United academy graduate is due to have a medical to complete a move to Villa Park, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealing the Villans will have the option to make the deal permanent for a fee of £40m at the end of the season.

The 27-year-old has not been a part of Ruben Amorim‘s plans for nearly two months, with his last Premier League appearance coming against Nottingham Forest back in December, and the manager recently hinted he hasn’t been giving 100% in training.

“It’s always the same reason – the training, the way I see a footballer should do in life. It’s every day, every detail. You can see on the bench we miss a bit of pace on the bench, but I would put [Manchester United goalkeeper coach Jorge] Vital before a player who doesn’t give the maximum every day.”

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With Rashford now poised to leave, Amorim is now tasked with finding a replacement, and Sky Sports report that Villa’s Leon Bailey is one of the players “under consideration” for a late transfer swoop.

The potential deal to sign Bailey would be separate from the Rashford move, which has seemingly already been agreed, with the Englishman set to undergo a medical.

The Villa winger is just one of the names under consideration for a move to Old Trafford, with the Red Devils yet to make a formal approach, but there could be developments before the deadline on Monday.

What Bailey could offer Man Utd

The £120k-per-week attacker has looked impressive at times in a Villa shirt, and he was particularly potent in front of goal during the 2023-24 campaign, amassing 19 goal contributions in 35 Premier League games to help his side secure Champions League football.

The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell has lauded the 27-year-old as “unplayable” during his time with the Villans, however, he has struggled to replicate last season’s form this term, picking up just one goal and three assists in all competitions.

As such, there is some doubt over whether Bailey would be a solid signing to replace Rashford, but United’s options are likely to be limited at this stage of the transfer window, and he could make an impact if he is able to rediscover his previous form, making this one to watch.