Marcus Rashford has heart set on Barcelona transfer despite failed January move to Spanish giants as Man Utd loanee plans for life after Aston Villa

Rashford's brothers, who act as his agents, held talks with Barca in January but could not agree a deal, leaving Villa as his best choice once it was clear he would not feature for United under Ruben Amorim, reports The Sun. Villa have a £40 million ($50m) option to buy Rashford at the end of the loan deal, but the report suggests he does not see his long-term future in the Midlands.

Rashford has made a strong start to life at Villa, impressing off the bench in last weekend's FA Cup victory over Tottenham and Saturday's Premier League draw with Ipswich, when his free-kick cannoned off the bar to Ollie Watkins to equalise. The forward still has his eyes set on playing at the highest level of the game and a summer move to Barca would tick boxes that Villa may not do, considering Unai Emery's side are struggling in their quest to qualify for the Champions League again.

Rashford was clear that he viewed the move to Villa as a temporary arrangement when he signed on loan for the club, saying: "Obviously it's only short term that I'm here but I want to make the most of my time here. The only way to do that is by using my attributes and skill-sets to help the team."

Rashford is set to make his return to Champions League football next month when Villa play their last-16 tie having qualified automatically from the league stage. A summer move to Barca could then be on the cards, though the Spanish club's precarious financial situation means it is unlikely to be a smooth deal to do.