Marcus Rashford could make £40m move to one of Aston Villa’s rivals

Marcus Rashford could move for £40m to a team other than Aston Villa should Manchester United receive a bid of this value despite the Midlands club having an option to buy him for that sum.

Rashford signed for Villa on loan in January and it is understood there is no clause in their agreement with United that prevents other clubs from buying him for the same price if the parent club and forward agree to the move.

Rashford, who is contracted until 2028 and earns about £365,000 a week, expects to return to United for pre-season at the start of July but it is unlikely the 27-year-old will play for the club again while Ruben Amorim is the head coach owing to a breakdown in their relationship.

Villa are thought to be providing at least 75% of Rashford’s salary, and United would have to make up any shortfall if he joined a club on less than his full wage because the player is not minded to take a pay cut. This could constitute millions of pounds, an amount United may add to any transfer fee to recoup the outlay.

Another loan deal is an option. Rashford has made clear he wants a Champions League club and is reluctant to join a team in London.

At Villa Rashford has scored four goals and made six assists in 17 appearances and he received an England recall in March. Yet he has missed Villa’s past three matches with a hamstring injury and may not play for the club again because he is ineligible for their final fixture, against United.

Amorim’s side are at Chelsea on Friday night for the penultimate Premier League game. The Portuguese wants them to play as if it is a final to best prepare for the Europa League final against Tottenham on Wednesday.

He said: “The best way is to face the game like we should face the game: to win the game. We need to perform, we need to win points in the Premier League and that is the feeling. We talked about that after [losing 2-0 to] West Ham [on Sunday]. We need to improve in the way we face competitions. Stay focused in every moment of the game because against West Ham we had clear situations to score, in the first opportunity of West Ham they scored one goal so these small details matter. The only way I know to prepare for a final is in the normal game we must play the same way as a final.”

View image in fullscreen Leny Yoro receives treatment after going down injured during Manchester United’s game against West Ham. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

Amorim is unsure whether Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt will be fit to face Spurs. Yoro limped out of the West Ham loss at Old Trafford with an injury to the foot he hurt in pre-season. De Ligt sustained a suspected knee problem in the 4-3 loss at Brentford on 4 May.

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He and Yoro were unable to train on Wednesday but Amorim is relieved that the latter’s problem is not as serious as first feared. The head coach had wondered whether Yoro’s injury might be long term, causing him to consider recruiting a defender in the summer.

Amorim said: “I was even thinking about next year, the squad, if we need another guy if it is a long injury.”

Two of Amorim’s other centre-backs, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelöf, are set to leave in the close season.

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