Rashford sent Emery WARNING ahead of Aston Villa move

Tom Weber

Updated: 1 Feb 2025 12:27 CST
4 min read

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has been warned that Aston Villa boss Unai Emery will treat him just like Ruben Amorim if he doesn't change.

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The Red Devils homegrown is on his way to Villa Park after a January transfer window rife with speculation. In December, Rashford announced that he was ready for a new challenge and he hasn't played for Man Utd since.

Head coach Ruben Amorim has dropped Rashford for his unsatisfactory training performances and he is now close to leaving his boyhood club. Though Rashford had initially been keen to join Barcelona, he now appears to be staying in the Premier League.

Aston Villa are closing in on a loan deal to bring the 27-year-old to Birmingham, with Unai Emery proving crucial in convincing Rashford to warm to the move. mery will fancy himself to bring the best out of Rashford again as he has gained a reputation for helping players revitalise their careers.

Indeed, his partner in crime, director Monchi, echoed exactly this sentiment earlier this week. “If there is a coach in European or even world football who is characterised by recovering players and getting the most out of them, it's Unai Emery," the Spaniard said.

Rashford warned about Emery

The prospect of Champions League football and of a career resurgence will appeal to Rashford, but the England international should also be aware of what he is getting himself into. Emery is just as demanding as Amorim and will expect complete buy-in from Rashford, according to Jamie Redknapp.

“Not everyone can be wrong: Amorim, [Erik] Ten Hag, [Jose] Mourinho, they’ve all had their say and they have all said that his attitude hasn’t been right, that he doesn’t train hard enough. If you don’t find yourself in the team, it becomes difficult," he told Sky Sports.

“This might be the right fit. You’ve got good players around you. The problem for Unai Emery is that if there’s one manager that demands excellence in training, working hard, a team ethic and a real good culture of the club, it feels like it’s him. Marcus will have to buy into that.

“There’s a lot of good young talented players. If they see that someone isn’t behaving themselves on and off the pitch in the correct manner, that can transmit to the other players.”

Former Villa striker Darren Bent concurred: "If you can get Marcus Rashford doing even half of what we know he can do, I certainly think it’s a risk worth taking.

"But that’s got to come from Marcus. We’ve had different managers trying to get that from him and it’s not worked. He’s got to look at himself. If he can do that, I think Aston Villa’s a great landing spot for him."