Rooney: Rashford ‘100%’ wants Man United return amid loan revival at Aston Villa

Wayne Rooney has claimed that Marcus Rashford still harbours a strong desire to play for Manchester United, despite his recent resurgence on loan at Aston Villa.

Rashford, 27, joined Villa in January on a temporary deal that includes a £40 million option to buy.

The forward had been frozen out of the squad by new United manager Ruben Amorim following a sharp dip in form, managing just 15 goals from August 2023 until his mid-season exit.

Since arriving at Villa Park, Rashford has shown glimpses of his best, netting three times and displacing Ollie Watkins as the club’s first-choice centre-forward.

Speaking on Amazon Prime during coverage of Villa’s Champions League quarter-final exit to PSG, Rooney said: “Marcus Rashford wants to play for Manchester United, 100 per cent.

“He is a Manchester lad, a Manchester United fan. Over the last couple of years, it has been difficult. He needed to play and it was clear he wouldn’t play for the rest of the season at United.

“In an ideal world he would like to leave a legacy at United. Whether that is possible, I don’t know, but that’s what I’d love to see,” the former United captain added.

Villa’s option to make the deal permanent places the Midlands club in a strong negotiating position, but Rashford’s future remains uncertain, with reports also linking him to interest from Barcelona.