Emery suggests Champions League crucial to permanent Rashford transfer | OneFootball

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has suggested that Champions League qualification could be crucial to the club’s hopes of signing Marcus Rashford on a permanent deal.

Rashford has impressed since arriving at Aston Villa on loan from Manchester United in the January transfer window. The 27-year-old has three goals and six assists in 15 appearances for Villa, having rediscovered his form after a difficult spell at Old Trafford.

Villa have an option to make the move permanent for a fee of £40m, though Emery insisted it is ‘difficult’ to determine whether a deal can be done. He praised Rashford’s impact, but said a permanent transfer depends on ‘what happens in the next weeks’.

Villa are currently seventh in the Premier League table, a point outside the Champions League places.

“It is difficult to plan it now. It depends on the circumstances and what happens in the next weeks,” Emery said following the club’s Champions League exit to PSG.

“He’s feeling comfortable and feeling better. He played a fantastic match vs Paris Saint-Germain. We are very happy.”

Villa came within one goal of forcing extra time against PSG on Tuesday night, despite trailing 5-1 on aggregate in the tie. A stirring fightback at Villa Park saw Emery’s side win 3-2 on the night and the Spaniard said he was ‘very proud’ of a valiant Villa effort.

“I am very proud of everything we did,” Emery told Amazon Prime.

“To get to this level is the best step forward to get to where I want to be at with Aston Villa.

“We competed well in the first leg, but not enough. We were even better today and close to coming back. The last step forward is still [missing], and this is the only [aspect] I want to [work on] for our process.”

Read – Five who played for both: Aston Villa and PSG

See more – Every three-goal first-leg deficit overturned in Champions League history

Follow The Football Faithful on Social Media:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok