Villa’s signing of Sancho risks turning him into a surplus player, as Manchester United completely give up! Rashford highly praises Barca, urging to stay

Sancho, currently on loan at Aston Villa from Manchester United, is in a precarious position under Emery since Villa have confirmed the acquisition of a 19-year-old Brazilian winger. Alisson Edwards' initial fee stands at £8.7 million plus £1.8 million in performance-related bonuses, making a total of £10.5 million.

Alisson, who joined from Gremio, is a left-footed player operating on the right wing. This season, he has played 43 matches, netting 2 goals and assisting 5 times. His arrival will tighten competition for Sancho’s spot at Villa Park in the second half of the season. Under Emery, Villa already have attacking options like Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, Evan Gaisande, Donnell Malen, and Harvey Elliott, making the battle for places extremely intense, which is far from ideal for Sancho.

Villa have recently enjoyed an eight-game winning streak, but Sancho has had little to do with this success. His performances this season have not been sufficient to secure a regular starting place at Villa, with most of his appearances coming in the Europa League.

In Villa’s recent 2-1 victory over Arsenal, Sancho was only given 15 minutes on the pitch. In the 4-3 win against Brighton, he didn’t even make the bench. During the 1-0 win over Wolves, Sancho played just 2 minutes.

Furthermore, despite making 12 appearances for Villa, Sancho has yet to contribute to any goals, with zero goals and assists to his name. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that Villa will make his transfer permanent after the season ends. Even if he becomes a free agent, his weekly wage is too high, as his base salary at Manchester United is £250,000 per week.

Manchester United has clearly given up on Sancho entirely and will not consider activating the one-year extension option in his contract. Next summer, the 25-year-old English winger will be free to transfer. Former Dortmund teammate Marco Reus has welcomed Sancho to join LA Galaxy, but whether Sancho is willing to move to Major League Soccer at this stage of his career remains uncertain, despite his current girlfriend being an American singer.

If Sancho wants to stay in Europe, he must accept a significant pay cut. Moreover, his agent needs to address a fundamental question first: who would want to sign Sancho this summer? Sancho’s close friend Rashford is also working hard on his future for next summer’s transfer window, but his goal is very clear: to stay at Camp Nou.

There have been varying reports about whether Barcelona will spend €30 million to buy out Rashford, with English and Spanish media both well aware of Rashford’s popularity. The 28-year-old English winger’s stance has never changed—he wants a permanent transfer to Barcelona.

This week, Rashford once again expressed his positive feelings, emphasizing that he has felt no pressure since joining Barcelona and is thoroughly enjoying himself. His move to La Liga has been quite successful so far, with 6 goals and 8 assists in 21 appearances. This week, he held his first charity event in Barcelona linked to the honor he received in the UK.

“I don’t feel any pressure at Barcelona; I came here to play football,” Rashford told BBC. “This experience has been amazing. I feel very welcomed, like I’m at home. I enjoy every step. It’s different, but it’s a great learning opportunity for me. Even small things I haven’t fully mastered yet, like learning the language and adapting to the culture, are enjoyable for me.”

Rashford reiterated his desire to stay with the club. “This is a whole new football language. Like many people worldwide, I have always admired Spanish football. Playing for Spain’s biggest club is a huge honor, and I look forward to playing more here and doing everything I can to help the team win,” he said. “That’s what the club demands; the environment here constantly motivates us to be the best players, so as a player, it’s amazing to be in such a place.”