After being sidelined for nearly two months, the Marcus Rashford saga looks to have finally concluded and the boyhood Manchester United fan and youth product turned first-team talisman looks set to be leaving on loan.
Having worn the red of Man United for more than two decades, going from a young boy signed to the youth academy at just seven to becoming a first-team start and Old Trafford’s number 10, Rashford looked destined to be a one-club man.
Nevertheless, after an evident rift with the new manager Ruben Amorim, it appears as though the Manchester-born winger has made his decision and will leave United in a somewhat surprising loan deal to a fellow Premier League competitor.
After emerging as an interested party late in the January window, Aston Villa have seemingly secured the services of Rashford loan until the end of the season, but this could also mean the door to a permanent exit opening.
🚨🟣🔵 Marcus Rashford to Aston Villa, here we go!
Agreement in place on loan deal with over 70% salary covered by Villa.
Buy option clause worth £40m also included in contract with potential three year and half deal to follow.
Being given the ‘here we go!’ seal of approval by reliable transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Rashford now has an official medical booked for Sunday, 2 February to seal the deal before the deadline.
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As detailed by Romano, while the switch is only on loan at present, it is believed that an option to buy clause has been included, with various reports valuing the transfer around £40-45 million.
One of the obstacles in resolving Rashford’s situation in the event of his departure has always been his salary as the club’s second-highest earner on around £300,000 a week.
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However, Villa are set to cover over 70% of his wages with the understanding that a three-and-a-half-year permanent contract could be agreed following the initial loan.
Amorim has reiterated that his side, overall, is a better outfit with talents like Rashford in it but there has clearly been an issue regarding effort and application in training, telling media “he has to change” to be a part of his team.
🗣️ "He has to change"
Ruben Amorim discusses the situation with Marcus Rashford if he does not secure a move away from Manchester United 🔴 pic.twitter.com/2mxueRKiT6
With the likes of Alejandro Garnacho having also looked to be on the verge of potentially leaving the club after both he and Rashford were first dropped as a duo, the youngster has instead manager to work his way back into matchday squads and notched an assist in United’s last game in the Europa League.
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That being said, although it looks like Garnacho might now stay at Old Trafford and has clearly come to a resolution with his coach, many supporters are still in disbelief at how Rashford’s relationship with Amorim has broken down so quickly.
Having scored 138 goals and registered 63 assists across 426 appearances for the club in just under 10 years as a senior star following his breakthrough season in 2015/16, Rashford in red is all he and the fans have ever known.
A school note of his that has surfaced online says it all:
Marcus Rashford's note from when he was in school…
Manchester City have announced a special away day fan zone for festive fixture
Danny Jones
In a real added bonus for away fans making the roughly two-hour journey to their only fixture over the festive period, travelling Man City supporters are being treated to a dedicated away-day fan zone for their upcoming game against Nottingham Forest.
Now this is the kind of backing we want to see from big teams.
That’s right, for those visiting Nottingham for the meeting against the fellow Premier League side and one-time European Cup winners, Manchester City will be putting on a special and exclusive fan zone.
Confirmed on Christmas Eve ahead of the match this coming Saturday, 27 December, the club revealed a quick glimpse of the pop-up supporters’ park.
As detailed in the announcement, the public events space known as ‘The Nest’ will be open exclusively to away-ticket holders heading to the City Ground.
Perfect for a quick pit-stop before and after the clash, the venue is one of the closest you’ll find to the stadium itself and, better still, is located roughly just a 10-minute walk away from the railway station.
There will be a huge bar offering a wide selection of alcoholic and soft drinks, plus plenty of street food to enjoy. Here’s hoping the players don’t indulge in too many of those this Christmas, especially following Pep Guardiola’s ‘fatty’ comments.
They kick off at 12:30pm, but will everyone make the weight?…
Once again, Man City have advertised this as an away-day ticket-holder-only event, so we would probably call ahead and double-check if you’re a Blue who just so happens to live/be in the area and want to go along.
It also goes without saying that this will serve as an ideal and presumably trouble-free place to celebrate after the result, as it’s a strictly sky-blue event and we’d wager the title contenders and serial trophy winners to come out on top.
So, if you needed any extra assurance that making the approximately 81-mile trip to Nottingham, we’d say potentially going top at Christmas and cheersing a few pints with your mates on a would-be concourse designed just for you is plenty of added motivation.
As for those of you staying firmly in Greater Manchester this holiday season, there’s no reason you can’t still have a little away day of your own:
Featured Images — Manchester City (via X)/The Manc Group
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Manchester City youngster Claudio Echeverri set for another loan spell
Danny Jones
Manchester City youngster Claudio Echeverri is set for another loan deal this January following a disappointing time in Germany.
The South American youth product has spent the first half of this season out on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, but has struggled not only to make an impact but even to enjoy any real steady playing time.
Following reports earlier this month by The Athletic‘s Seb Stafford-Bloor that announced Echeverri’s loan would return to his Man City, it appears as though all parties concerned haven’t exactly gotten what they want out of the deal.
With that in mind, not only has his short-term agreement been cut short, but Echeverri is now set to join another City Football Group (CFG) club on a temporary contract, where he can crucially be assured more regular minutes.
As confirmed by the ever ubiquitous transfer insider, Fabrizio Romano, Claudio Echeverri is now set to join Girona temporarily from the Premier League side.
Romano writes that “the Argentinian talent leaves Bayer Leverkusen after loan deal interrupted — as Echeverri was not playing.”
Stating that the 19-year-old will officially become a Girona FC player from 1 January onwards, he will no doubt provide some much-needed offensive firepower for the struggling Spanish side, with the Catalan club currently lingering in the La Liga relegation zone.
Following a somewhat reverse pattern of fellow forward, Savinho (who was signed by the French CFG franchise arm, Troyes, before being loaned to Girona and eventually bought by Man City), the attack-minded player remains a highly-rated youth prospect but has yet to fully announce himself.
He scored the first goal for his parent club back in June; it’s fair to say it was a bit of a corker…
Fast forward to now, though, and Echeverri will spend at least until next June representing Girona – no doubt dropping straight into the starting lineup as soon as possible.
At the moment, there is no suggestion of any permanent clause included in the agreement, but either way, ‘El Diablito’ is still a CFG asset, at the end of the day.
With that in mind, we’re sure they’ll move him around the sporting network however they see fit in search of a breakout spell.
Do you think it’s a good move for the young starlet, or would you like to see him back in Manchester, fighting his way into matchday squads?
Danny Jones -
2nd February 2025 
