Although Aston Villa’s possible involvement is still “uncertain,” it has been rumored that Manchester United is considering a trade involving Marcus Rashford and Aleksandar Pavlovic, a midfielder for Bayern Munich.
In January, United loaned Rashford to Villa, a team in the Premier League. Since his first few weeks as Red Devils manager, Ruben Amorim has practically not used the forward at all and publicly reprimanded him.
Rashford appears to be a direct threat in front of goal, though, and his Villa stint has already been productive. The Red Devils have their own intentions for the United player, but the Villans have the option to sign him permanently in the summer for £40 million.
Caught Offside claims that United is “exploring” a possible trade for Pavlovic, a midfielder for Bayern. They reportedly know the Bundesliga powerhouses would demand a “significant” transfer fee, so if they offer Rashford, the price will drop.
After participating in 19 games the previous season, Pavlovic has made 14 appearances in the Bundesliga this year.
If Villa chooses to retain Rashford, who hasn’t scored yet but is flourishing in his new environment, they might thwart any such move.
There is “uncertainty,” according to the article, about whether Villa will proceed with the £40 million signing.
Without knowing if they can use the saleable Rashford in the deal, United won’t be able to properly plan for the Pavlovic transfer, and Villa might sabotage their plans if they do.
If Rashford begins to dominate and score goals at Villa Park, it would be shocking if he wasn’t signed on a long-term basis.
With other valuable players like Joshua Zirkzee, Rasmus Hojlund, and Alejandro Garnacho vying for their futures, it’s doubtful that United would still want to sign Pavlovic if that were to occur.