ASTON VILLA are set to go head to head with Paris Saint-Germain this summer in a battle for Marcus Rashford.
Sun Sport can reveal the Premier League side want to make the current loan arrangement they have with the England star a permanent switch.
Manager Unai Emery has told Villa chiefs he’s confident the Manchester United forward’s head is in the right place and that signing him would help take the club to the next level.
The big issue will be Rashford’s salary but Villa hope he could be persuaded to take a drop in his wages in order to secure a move that will help resurrect his career with the club and England.
Emery – who took a risk by signing Rashford – rates him very highly.
So highly in fact that Villa sources said he’d be prepared to make him their main striker should Ollie Watkins leave over the summer.
Watkins has been constantly linked with a move away from Villa Park, with Arsenal remaining very keen on the player.
Rashford almost joined PSG before his loan move to the Villans and is still in talks with his current team’s Champions League quarter-final opponents.
According to L’Equipe, the versatile forward came extremely close to a transfer to Paris in the summer of 2022.
In fact, the Parisians wanted the England international to come in and replace Neymar in the starting line-up.
At least three meetings took place between the club and the Man Utd star’s entourage.
Talks went so well with then sporting director Leonardo that the 27-year-old gave the “green light” for a move to Ligue 1.
However, a deal fell apart in May of that year after PSG axed Leonardo and there is a strong feeling that if the Brazilian chief had stayed then Rashford would be playing for the French champions.
Nevertheless, the same source reports talks have been been revived between Rashford and Leonardo’s replacement Luis Campos.
