Man Utd outcast 'will need to take huge wage cut' to push through career-saving £40m move

Marcus Rashford may be forced to take a huge wage cut if he wants to make his loan move from Manchester United to Aston Villa permanent in the summer, it has been reported.

The move to Villa Park is said to have included a £40million buy option, but Rashford’s reported £350,000-a-week wages would likely need negotiating in order to make a move work for Villa. The 27-year-old has been a breath of fresh air since making the move to the West Midlands on February 2, notching three goals and four assists in all competitions.

Fans and pundits alike have pointed out Rashford’s new confidence ever since he put on the Villa shirt for the first time, and his upturn in form even led to a return to the England squad for the first time in 12 months. However, his current wages are almost double that of Villa’s highest earners and a huge salary cut is likely to be required to seal a permanent switch.

Marcus Rashford permanent Man United exit suits all parties

A permanent transfer away from Old Trafford in the summer would surely be in the best interests of all parties, with Rashford struggling to find form in Manchester ever since his prolific 30-goal return in the 2022/23 season.

A change in scenery has made a big difference on the England star, who will now have his sights set on being a part of Thomas Tuchel’s 2026 World Cup squad – and will likely feel Villa Park is the best place for him to achieve this.

The United academy graduate struck his first two goals for Villa in the FA Cup at Preston on March 30, before scoring the opener in the Villains’ 3-0 Premier League win at Brighton on Wednesday night. But Rashford’s weekly wage is reportedly over double that of Villa’s highest earners, and so Villa’s hierarchy will worry about the forward breaking the club’s wage structure if he were to arrive on a permanent deal.

Football Insider have reported that Rashford will need to cut his wages to complete a move while Spanish outlet have made a similar claim but added Villa are considering a £40m transfer and they are favourites ahead of Barcelona to sign the forward.

It is easy to forget that the Birmingham outfit were in the Championship just six years ago and were a bottom-half Premier League side until Unai Emery’s arrival at the club in 2022/23. To maintain the club’s competitive wage structure is an important move to ensure they do not face financial issues down the line – something that Rashford will likely have to take into account come the summer transfer window.

Should negotiations stall, it has been reported that the £40million buy option in Rashford’s contract can be triggered by any club in the summer.

United must raise funds to land top transfer targets

No matter where he ends up, it is imperative for United’s future transfer plans that they offload the forward in the summer. In the world of PSR restrictions and financial scrutiny it is likely that United will need to sell players in order to buy, after what is looking increasingly probable to be the Red Devils’ first bottom-half Premier League finish in history.

Ruben Amorim’s side are reported to be interested in Eintracht Frankfurt’s 22-year-old striker Hugo Ekitike, with other potential targets including Harry Kane, Viktor Gyokeres and Jean-Philippe Mateta.

Other big-name players may need to be offloaded to fund this, with the likes of Antony set to leave while Rasmus Hojlund has been linked with an exit this summer.