Although Aston Villa fell agonisingly short of a second consecutive Champions League qualification, there was still a sense of forward momentum towards the end of the season – the feeling that the club was moving steadily forward, improving and attracting bigger and better players.
It’s hard to imagine that Marcus Rashford or Marco Asensio would have signed for Villa a couple of years ago and their arrival, even on loan, signalled a club which has come a long way. The fact that neither seems likely to sign permanently, however, hints at the work to be done.Aston Villa have announced that they will not be exercising the £40m purchase option in Rashford’s contract, but given his performances and stature it’s hard to imagine that they are letting him leave entirely choice. Between Rashford’s apparent desire to move abroad and concerns over Villa’s mounting financial losses and PSR compliance, it seems as though a move simply didn’t prove feasible. So what do Villa do now?
