Update: |PSG’s Marcus Rashford interest, Man United heroics, Aston Villa transfer stance News

Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford has largely fond memories from his time facing PSG and he will be hopeful of more good memories tonight

Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford will be aware that all eyes will be on him on Wednesday evening when Aston Villa travel to PSG in the Champions League quarter-finals.

The winger has regained his love of football at Villa Park and has returned to the scoresheet with three goals in as many matches recently. He now heads to the French capital knowing that PSG could well be interested in his services again in the summer.

An exit from United now seems inevitable and MEN Sport understands that Rashford is one of ten players expected to leave the club permanently in the summer. So ahead of the Champions League quarter final tonight, the Manchester Evening News has taken a look at how Rashford, PSG, Villa and United have all been intertwined in recent years.

PSG’s interest in Rashford

In 2022, when Rashford was coming towards the end of his previous contract, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi let it be known that the England international was a player of interest to himself and his club. “He’s another player that is really amazing,” Al-Khelaifi told Sky Sports News.

“And for free? To have Rashford for free, every club would run after him, definitely.

“We’re not hiding it, we spoke before and… interest. But the moment was not a good moment for both sides.

“Maybe, summer, why not? Today if he’s a free agent of course we can talk to him directly but we are not going to talk to him now.

“Let him focus on the World Cup. Then after in January, hopefully, if we’re interested we will talk to him.”

Rashford’s United heroics vs PSG

Rashford has played against PSG more than any other club in the Champions League and holds a good record against them. In four appearances, he has scored three goals and bagged an assist against the French club.

His most memorable appearance against PSG came in March 2019 when he inspired a brilliant turnaround in Paris to knock the Ligue 1 club out of the competition. His cool penalty in the dying moments of the game sparked wild scenes in the away end and was arguably one of Rashford’s top highlights in a red shirt.

Villa stance on transfer

Villa will be hopeful of some more Rashford magic against PSG over the next week and will also be hopeful of tying him down to the West Midlands moving forward. A £40m buy option is included in the loan agreement between United and Villa for the forward which Unai Emery’s men have the option of triggering.

It has been widely suggested that Villa are not wanting to make a decision on triggering that clause until they know whether they will be in Europe or not next season. That being said, they are more than happy with Rashford and his performances since joining the club.

This was echoed by Emery this week when he told reporters: “He is a good guy, he is humble, he is a very good professional player, he is really happy with his teammates, he has been demanding himself in everything. We want to work with him, with the team.

“I think he is playing freely, he is playing comfortably, and this is the most important. We are trying to connect with him as a person firstly, and after that to connect with him as a player.

“His process here is getting better as well. He is playing in two different positions, he started as a left winger, now he is playing more as a striker.

“How he can exploit his qualities as best as possible with us. This is the process we have, still work to do, still process to do, but the most important is his feeling.

“We are seeing him smiling, it is the best news we can have. I am seeing him happy, I am seeing him committed with everything we are doing.”