Marcus Rashford has wished Tammy Abraham well (Image: Getty Images)
Marcus Rashford has sent his best wishes to Tammy Abraham, telling him to “Go smash it,” as the English striker returns to the Premier League with Aston Villa. The Villans secured the 28-year-old striker on a four-and-a-half-year contract on Tuesday, splashing out £18.25million to Besiktas.
Rashford was amongst those quick to congratulate Abraham on his comeback, posting on Instagram: “Congrats, Tammy! Go smash it bro,” following his unveiling at Villa Park. The Midlands isn’t unfamiliar territory for Rashford, who spent half of the 2024/25 season on loan at Villa, where he excelled under Unai Emery, bagging four goals and six assists across 17 matches.
Villa held an option to secure his services permanently that summer, but a permanent transfer ultimately fell through, and Rashford headed back to Old Trafford.
After discovering he wasn’t in Ruben Amorim’s plans, the 28-year-old weighed up his choices before sealing a season-long loan switch to Barcelona.
Similar to Villa’s arrangement, the Spanish giants also possess an option to turn his Camp Nou spell into a permanent one this summer for approximately £30million.
Given Rashford’s impressive form under Hansi Flick this campaign, that possibility becomes increasingly likely with each passing match. So far, Rashford has contributed three goals and eight assists in 20 La Liga appearances alone, despite fierce competition from the likes of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.
Nevertheless, with Amorim having departed United and Michael Carrick assuming interim control until the end of the season, there has been speculation that Rashford could make a comeback to Old Trafford and reinvigorate his career this summer.
It has been a quiet month for the Reds regarding player movements, with Carrick focusing on achieving the strongest possible league finish with his existing squad rather than entering the January transfer market.
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Tammy Abraham has signed for Aston Villa (Image: Getty Images)
Casemiro will depart United this summer, leaving United desperately searching for a permanent successor to the Brazilian enforcer.
The club has been linked with numerous talented players, from Brighton’s Carlos Baleba to Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson.
Whilst the club has also faced rumours of a surprising approach for Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, with suggestions circulating that the Wythenshawe-born star is dissatisfied and homesick in the capital, Liam Rosenior has moved to dismiss any speculation of a departure.
At a press conference on Tuesday evening ahead of Chelsea’s Champions League encounter with Napoli, the head coach said: “It’s simple: Cole’s an incredible player like [Moises Caicedo] sitting next to me and many players in the group.
“I’m not surprised at the timing (of the rumours). A new manager comes in and all of a sudden there’s people are (looking to) unsettle. It’s not true. Cole’s here, he’s very happy and I can’t wait to see him on the pitch.
“There’s no reason for an assurance (from Chelsea’s directors). It’s so unrealistic. It’s come from nowhere, there’s nothing in it. There’s no reason to have the conversation, that’s where I’m at.
“Cole is very happy. We’ve had numerous conversations with him on how we can make this team better, how he can improve and how I can help him – because he loves being here and he wants to be a Chelsea player.
“You can’t stop speculation, but some speculation is so far from the truth, there’s not point having any discussion about it.”