Manchester United's summer transfer budget could be heading for an unexpected boost

There will be a fair amount of exasperation at Old Trafford when Manchester United figures watch Marcus Rashford shining for Aston Villa, playing with energy, spark and dynamism that was badly missing from his game at his parent club.

Rashford has been excellent for Villa since making the temporary switch in January, and his desire to chase lost causes has been just as eye-catching as his impact with the ball at his feet. A player who looked to have lost his enthusiasm for the game at United is suddenly rejuvenated just down the M6.

There is something in the theory that too many players improve when they leave United for it to be a coincidence, but on this occasion, the blame lies almost solely with Rashford. He had given up at his boyhood club, but with a big money move in the summer now attainable and a few months to put himself in the shop window, he is catching the eye at Villa Park.

If Rashford had put this kind of energy and effort into his games and training sessions at United, then it is abundantly clear he would still be playing for a team that needs a forward who can deliver what he is delivering for Aston Villa. But he didn't, and he was rightly ostracised as a result.

It will infuriate United supporters, as well as Ruben Amorim and his coaching staff, to see Rashford doing so well now, but the 27-year-old finding a rich vein of form isn't without its positives.

It has been suggested that Villa are already considering taking up the option to buy the forward. They will need another attacker in the summer following Jhon Duran's move to Saudi Arabia. Rashford can offer cover for Ollie Watkins, and his bright displays in the early days of his time in the Midlands have come in his preferred position off the left.

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