Marcus Rashford played his final match for Aston Villa after coach Unai Emery confirmed that the injury would keep him out for the match against Tottenham.
The striker is not eligible to face Manchester United on the closing day, so the focus is on his future.
Rashford will decide his next move after the season ends. There is currently little uncertainty about where he will play after the 2025 summer transfer window closes. Meanwhile, the possibility of the 27-year-old striker returning to Old Trafford is not very promising.
The move to Villa Park and work under Emery has helped Rashford revive. He had to leave Man United on loan due to a conflict with coach Ruben Amorim.
Rashford has gradually regained his reputation at Villa after a worrying 18 months at Old Trafford, when his productiveness and ambitions were widely doubted. The player born in 1997 scored 4 goals and 6 assists in 17 matches at Villa Park.
Positive performances at Villa will give Rashford more points to add to the teams that want to recruit him. Rashford's next move will be very important, especially ahead of the 2026 World Cup. But where does Rashford want to go?
Rashford wants to play in the Champions League next season and staying at Villa is still a possibility he will consider. Villa are currently out of the Premier League's top five with two games left at the end of the season. Unless they can win over Tottenham and Man United, Villa will not have the right to decide for themselves.
For Villa, they have not yet decided whether to buy the English striker for £40 million as Man United requested. The Red Devils are offering the same price for any other team interested. Therefore, Villa will not be given priority to buy Rashford.
This means other clubs could sign Rashford at Man United's valuation if all parties agree. If Rashford joins another Premier League club, he is said to not want to move to London.
Barcelona have kept an eye on Rashford in the winter transfer window and continue to monitor his situation. The striker is said to be interested in playing for the Catalan club but has never had a serious approach.
Competition for the winger position at Barcelona is very high, with Lamine Yamal and Raphinha being the ones who are unlikely to replace.
As for Man United, they seem to have looked for a replacement for Rashford, with Matheus Cunha and Liam Delap being the top two targets.
Rashford's salary is considered a barrier in January this year and could continue to cause problems. The 27-year-old has a contract at Old Trafford until 2028, putting him on the list of the club's highest-paid players. Finding a team willing to pay Rashford the same salary may not be an easy task.
With Man United's financial limitations, raising transfer money from player sales will be the focus this summer. And Rashford is one of the leading candidates for that goal thanks to his good form at Villa.
However, Rashford's representative opposes including him in any exchange deal. Therefore, Man United need to find a way to sell the English striker.
In case they cannot reach a long-term agreement, Man United may be forced to continue to loan Rashford because he still has 3 years left on his contract.
