THE Marcus Rashford renaissance is real. After a string of impressive performances, the 27-year-old scored his first (and second) goal in an Aston Villa shirt against Preston on Sunday. Rashford has looked like his old self since leaving Manchester United on loan in January and that is certainly the case now that he is finding the back of the net again.

Rashford simply needed to get out of Old Trafford. The place had become a torture chamber for the attacker. Once seen as the face of Manchester United’s future, Rashford quickly became a symptom of everything that has dragged the club down in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. He needed to leave for the good of his own career.

Villa Park has been a sanctuary. Under Unai Emery, Rashford once again has his sharpness back in the final third. While Sunday’s goals against Preston were his first for Aston Villa, Rashford already had four assists to his name. He has quickly forged an understanding with his new teammates, particularly Marco Asensio. The pair have combined for four goals.

It’s widely believed Rashford’s first choice was to go abroad. AC Milan, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund were all linked with the England international as his exile from Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United squad continued. Rashford understandably wanted to escape the gaze of the English media.

In this sense, Rashford has had to make do with a less-than-ideal situation. He is still in England and his performances for Aston Villa have been scrutinised just as they would have been had he remained at Manchester United. And yet Rashford has shown resilience by resurrecting his career. He is back to his best.

This is why Rashford should push to make his Aston Villa stay a permanent one. The Villa Park outfit have a £40m option to sign the attacker at the end of the season which would make Rashford the third-most expensive transfer in Aston Villa’s history. Even still, this could represent good value considering the player’s current form.

Emery has remained coy on Villa’s summer plans for Rashford. The Spaniard is focused on the last two months of the season with Aston Villa in the Champions League quarter-finals and the FA Cup semi-finals. This season could culminate in something special for a team that is on an upward trajectory. Rashford is part of that.

From the player’s point of view, though, there’s good reason for Rashford to desire a permanent transfer. Villa play to his strengths. Emery’s attacking game plan is to get Rashford into open space as often as possible with the 27-year-old’s speed and directness offering a different dimension in the final third.

There’s strong competition for game time within the Aston Villa squad. Rashford hasn’t been a guaranteed starter since joining from Manchester United with Jacob Ramsey, Morgan Rogers, Leon Bailey and Asensio all good options. This competition, however, has been good for Rashford. He has been invigorated.

Financially, Aston Villa might not have the budget to sign Rashford permanently at the end of the season. The club may ultimately decide to funnel funds into other areas of the squad. Villa could use a new right back. Another top-level centre back would also strengthen Emery’s squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

If, however, Aston Villa want an attacking difference-maker who can win games for them in a moment, Rashford has already shown that he is the perfect match for this team. It was initially difficult to imagine Rashford playing for another Premier League team besides Manchester United. Now, it’s hard to envisage him going back.

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