Manchester United should try to agree a stunning swap deal with Aston Villa involving Marcus Rashford, according to Old Trafford hero Wes Brown.
Rashford spent the second-half of last season on loan at Villa Park and has been linked with a permanent move to the Midlands club.
Ruben Amorim sanctioned Rashford’s departure from Manchester United and is unlikely to offer the England international an olive branch this summer.
Rashford is reportedly ‘dreaming’ of a move to Barcelona after coming close to joining the La Liga giants during the January transfer window.
But the 27-year-old is not against returning to Aston Villa, where he largely impressed and enjoyed playing under Unai Emery.
Get personalised updates on Manchester United every day
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you.
Villa have been told Rashford will cost £40m this summer and the club are currently weighing up a proposal after missing out on Champions League football on the final day of the season.
With Aston Villa likely to renew talks with Manchester United, Brown has advised his former club to enquire into the possibility of signing Ollie Watkins as part of the deal.
Amorim is determined to sign a new No. 9 this summer and Watkins, who has scored 87 goals in 223 appearances for Villa, could be a cheaper option than Viktor Gyokeres or Benjamin Sesko.
Watkins was heavily linked with a move away from Villa Park in January after Arsenal made a surprise £40m bid but the 29-year-old ended up staying put.
United were keen to sign Liam Delap before he joined Chelsea for £30m but Brown believes Watkins would be an even better option than the former Ipswich Town forward.
‘Manchester United need a striker who has goals and although Liam Delap might not get you 20 just yet, he is a great player and has all the attributes to be a success,’ Brown told BoyleSports.
‘Personally, having Rasmus Hojlund up front on his own looked very difficult for him, he got a lot of stick and looked to have no back up whatsoever.
‘He cannot be left in that position again because it’s not fair on him, Chido Obi came in who is another young player, but United have to get a striker this summer.
Emile Heskey on Aston Villa’s pursuit of Marcus Rashford
‘Marcus Rashford will be a difficult permanent signing for Aston Villa, as there are contractual obligations and a certain level of money that he wants.
‘Therefore, I’m not sure it will be beneficial for Villa to sign Marcus or if it is even a possibility. However, one thing is for sure, Rashford will bring value and talent to any team he is playing for.
‘Signing Rashford is a lot easier to say than to actually get done, but if he did sign for Villa, he would be fantastic for them as he has been since January.’
Speaking to Metro
‘Delap would’ve been a good player for United, but I’d go for experience. Manchester United need a striker and Ollie Watkins has shown us that he can do that in the Premier League.
‘Would Aston Villa swap Watkins for Marcus Rashford? I’m not sure because they still trust Watkins and would need to find a big replacement.
‘They would want a striker who can get 20 goals and those are hard to come by. Look at United and how Rasmus Hojlund has struggled, but a striker like Watkins would be perfect for United.’
Brown wants Rashford future resolved ‘sooner rather than later’
Rashford has made more than 400 appearances for boyhood club Manchester United but a permanent move away from Old Trafford appears to suit all parties.
Five-time title winner Brown added: ‘Marcus Rashford is going to have to start playing really well wherever he goes, first of all.
‘He’s done well at Aston Villa, he’s got his head back in the game. But he still has two years on his contract at United.
‘If he is looking to move, he would obviously want a big club and Barcelona would be ideal. But it’s a lot of money. If the club is looking to get rid of him, they’re probably wanting to get paid as well.
‘It’s not an easy one to sort out, talking from my heart, I think it would be brilliant if Ruben Amorim and Marcus could sort things out.
‘When he’s on form, it’s a player United have really missed. I hope they can sort it out in a way that everybody gets what they want.
‘For Marcus personally, he just needs to get his head down and play some football now. Hopefully this gets sorted out sooner rather than later.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.