Marcus Rashford is apparently on his way to Aston Villa, at least in some capacity. Jhon Duran is officially gone, and Ollie Watkins is set to stay, at least for now. As the January transfer window deadline approaches on Monday, it’s time to cover all three of the narratives that are circulating within the Villans final third right now.
We’ll cover the latest on Rashford, Duran and Watkins here, on this first of the new month.
Team News, Starting XI Predictions
Aston Villa at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Manchester United vs Crystal Palace
Marcus Rashford
Rashford has to leave, with United manager Ruben Amorim making it as clear as humanly possible that the English forward is persona non grata at Old Trafford. The potential for him to get his dream move to FC Barcelona totally fell apart, but Villa are closing in, according to multiple reports.
While it would be a loan deal initially, there will likely be a buy-option clause for the summer added on to the deal. The Guardian reports that Villa “regard Rashford as a low-risk signing given they are unlikely to pay a fee.”
Personal terms have already been agreed, according to multiple outlets.
Jhon Duran
The young Colombian striker is finally getting the move away from Villa that he clamored for all summer long. Duran only moved to Aston Villa, from the Chicago Fire, in January of 2023, but he was extremely close to joining West Ham United in August.
Now at Al-Nassr, he won’t have to compete with Ollie Watkins (who we’ll cover in the next item) for playing time. Plus he gets an insane payday, and Villa are the recipients of a really hefty transfer fee. It’s kind of win-win-win.
•Jhon Duran departs Aston Villa•
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“He didn’t know how to press, he couldn’t play with Watkins, he randomly got sent off for no reason. But still, there goes the best barclaysman in modern premier league times!” pic.twitter.com/LkcdhkJ4Nz— SimpsonsEFL (@EflSimpsons) January 31, 2025
Ollie Watkins
Villa and Watkins have rebuffed the interest that Arsenal showed this transfer window. Manager Unai Emery confirmed this in his press conference yesterday.
“Yes, he is happy to stay,” Emery responded when asked how Watkins is feeling and if he is happy at the club.”
“The commitment of Watkins is really a huge commitment to defend Aston Villa. He appreciates how Aston Villa was always supporting him and helping him. Also, when we joined two years ago, how we always tried to get the best of him.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.