Man Utd ready to sell Marcus Rashford for £40m as Aston Villa do not have first option to buy England attacker in summer deal

Despite speculation suggesting Villa had priority to buy Rashford after his loan spell, it has been confirmed that Unai Emery's team does not hold a first-refusal clause, as revealed by The Sun. Instead, any club that matches United's valuation during the upcoming transfer window will be free to engage in negotiations with the 27-year-old.

Rashford will not feature for Aston Villa in their penultimate Premier League match against Tottenham, as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. The absence effectively ends his loan tenure at the Midlands club. Due to Premier League rules, Rashford will be ineligible for Villa’s final fixture of the campaign, which takes place at Old Trafford against his parent club. As a result, he has already played his last game in claret and blue, finishing with a contribution of four goals and six assists across 18 appearances.

With his loan deal concluded, Rashford is now expected to report back to United’s Carrington training complex in early July as part of the squad’s pre-season preparations. However, United are open to offers and are understood to be evaluating both permanent and temporary solutions. Should a club not be willing to meet the full asking price, another loan move remains on the table, particularly one that allows Rashford to continue competing at a high level.

Rashford has reportedly made it clear that his preference is to join a club competing in the Champions League. This could complicate a potential switch to clubs outside Europe’s elite competition, though it may increase interest from top continental sides and domestic rivals alike. The £40m ($53m) asking price is likely to attract bids from clubs across Europe, especially those seeking proven Premier League experience and attacking depth.