Marcus Rashford’s loan move from Manchester United to Aston Villa has been one of the biggest moves of the January transfer window.
Villa moved to land the 27-year-old England international on Sunday in a move which sees the forward join the West Midlanders on loan for the rest of the season, with an option to make the move permanent for a fee of £40million.
Unai Emery’s side stepped in after Rashford’s relationship with Manchester United and manager Ruben Amorim appeared to break down after he was dropped for December’s Manchester derby, with the Manchester-born star saying he was ‘ready for a new challenge', while Amorim said he would rather play his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach than Rashford.
Shearer praises Amorim but has a warning for Rashford
Rashford has got his wish and will now look to make an impact with a Villa side that are chasing the European places in the Premier League and have qualified for the last-16 of this season’s Champions League, but saw striker Jhon Duran leave for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr in a £71million move.
As the dust begins to settle on Rashford’s Old Trafford departure, former England striker Alan Shearer has given his verdict on how Amorim has handled the Rashford situation.
“I think Ruben Amorim has been pretty clear and what he has said is perhaps what other managers before him couldn't say or didn't want to say about Marcus Rashford,” Shearer told Betfair.
“He's been brutally open and brutally honest: 'this is the situation, this is what I've inherited, and I'm not accepting it. You either jump into my boat and row with me or you're not getting it at all' and I think that's a great attitude to have from the manager. It's the only way to go.
“I like Amorim's openness, and I like his honesty, and I probably think previous managers are looking at that situation he's got with Marcus and thinking, 'yeah, that's what we had also, but you're now telling everyone how it is.'
“It's a tricky situation because of the wages that Rashford will be on. You've got to understand the situation and the magnitude of what you're taking on and who you're taking on.”
While Shearer moved to praise Amorim, who has endured a challenging start at Manchester United, losing seven of his 13 Premier League matches in charge so far, the former Newcastle star had a warning for Rashford.
“Three years ago, this guy could phone the Prime Minister up and sit in front of them, yet now he can't even get anywhere near the first team at Man United.
“I hope he gets it right, and I hope he realises what he's doing. The opportunities are passing him by.
“He's at one of the biggest clubs in the world and I hope that he and his people are looking at things and thinking 'are we doing the right thing?”
Rashford is currently valued at €55million by Transfermarkt and his current Old Trafford deal runs until 2028.
