Marcus Rashford has publicly backed Tammy Abraham after the striker completed a return to the Premier League with Aston Villa.
Abraham, 28, has joined Villa on a four-and-a-half-year deal following a move reported at £18.25million from Besiktas, giving Unai Emery another forward option for the run-in.
Rashford responded quickly to the announcement and wrote on Instagram: “Congrats, Tammy! Go smash it bro,” as Abraham was unveiled at Villa Park.
Villa link remains relevant to Rashford story
The Midlands club has been a recent chapter in Rashford’s own career, after he spent half of the 2024/25 season on loan at Villa.
During that spell he recorded four goals and six assists in 17 matches, earning praise for his output and fit within Emery’s structure.
Villa held an option to make the move permanent, but the deal did not progress and Rashford ultimately returned to Manchester United.
After finding himself out of Ruben Amorim’s plans, Rashford later took a season-long loan to Barcelona, with the Spanish side also holding a purchase option reported at around £30million.
Strong form fuels Old Trafford speculation
Rashford’s campaign under Hansi Flick has been productive, with three goals and eight assists in 20 La Liga appearances despite fierce competition for minutes.
That form has intensified debate over whether Barcelona will trigger their option, while also reviving talk of a possible return to Old Trafford.
With Amorim having departed and Michael Carrick now in interim control until the end of the season, speculation has grown that United could reconsider Rashford’s future in the summer.
United’s January has been relatively quiet, with the focus on stabilising results and planning ahead, including the expectation that Casemiro will depart this summer.
Transfer News: Chelsea rumours resurface around Palmer
Alongside the wider United discussion, a separate thread has emerged around claims the club has looked at Chelsea’s Cole Palmer.
The theory suggests the Wythenshawe-born attacker is unhappy in London and could be tempted by a move back to the North West, but Chelsea have been quick to push back.
At his pre-match press conference ahead of the Champions League clash with Napoli, Liam Rosenior dismissed the rumours and insisted there is no issue to resolve.
He 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.”
For now, Rashford’s message to Abraham provided the headline moment, but the transfer narratives around both clubs are already building toward a busy summer.
