Ex-PL Star Sees Reason Aston Villa Won’t Keep Loan Man | OneFootball

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Former Premier League star Steve Nicol is of the view that Aston Villa’s failed gamble with Philippe Coutinho will stop Unai Emery’s side from signing Marcus Rashford on a permanent deal from Manchester United.

The 27-year-old forward was deemed surplus to the requirement by Ruben Amorim at Manchester United and he was loaned out to Aston Villa during the winter transfer window for the rest of the season.

Rashford’s form has taken an upward trajectory under Unai Emery’s tutelage and he put in an excellent performance against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, where he registered an assist and helped the Birmingham outfit secure a 3-1 win.

Manchester United negotiated an option to buy clause in Rashford’s loan deal, but Nicol thinks that Aston Villa will not sign him because of their memory of signing Coutinho permanently.

Villa, during Steven Gerrard’s reign, signed Coutinho on loan from Barcelona during the winter of 2022 and later made it permanent in the summer after being happy with his performances, but however, the Brazilian failed to live up to expectations at Villa Park.

Nicol thinks that Aston Villa would have to pay Rashford a huge salary with a hefty fee to Manchester United for his transfer and he thinks that Emery’s side will not take the gamble with the Red Devils star due to their prior experience with the Coutinho move.

When asked about whether Aston Villa will sign Rashford, Nicol said on ESPN FC (2:30): “Every time I think about this one, I think about Coutinho.

“Coutinho could be the reason why they don’t sign Rashford.

“They took a gamble; they signed Coutinho; they paid a fee for him, paid him huge wages and he was a complete bust.

“I think that will go against Rashford because they are going to have to pay money for Rashford and the salary he is on – are Aston Villa really going to gamble on Marcus Rashford?

“I am not so sure and I think a lot of it could be down to the reason of Coutinho a couple of years ago.”

Coutinho is still on Aston Villa’s books, as he has one more year left on his contract and is currently on loan with Brazil’s Vasco da Gama.