Out-of-favor England forward Marcus Rashford has completed a loan move to Aston Villa from Manchester United until the end of the season, bringing an end to the uncertainty surrounding his future. The deal, which reportedly includes an option for Villa to make the transfer permanent, sees the 27-year-old join Unai Emery’s side for the second half of the campaign.

Villa will cover a significant portion of Rashford’s wages as part of the loan agreement, with additional performance-related bonuses tied into the deal. Should Villa decide not to make the move permanent, Rashford will return to Old Trafford in the summer.

Rashford, who has struggled for consistent first-team action at United this season, expressed his excitement at the move on social media, thanking both Manchester United and Aston Villa for facilitating the deal.

“I would like to thank Manchester United and Aston Villa for making this loan deal happen,” Rashford wrote on Instagram. “I was lucky to have a few clubs approach me, but Aston Villa was an easy decision. I really admire the way Aston Villa have been playing this season, and the manager’s ambitions. I just want to play football and am excited to get started. I wish everyone at Manchester United all the best for the rest of the season.”

Rashford had not featured in a match day squad for United since their Europa League win over Viktoria Plzen on December 12. United coach Ruben Amorim recently noted that Rashford “has to change” in order to secure a place in the matchday squad again. Rashford had also expressed in December that he was “ready for a new challenge” after being left out of United’s squad for their derby clash against Manchester City on December 15.

Villa had been looking to bolster their attacking options after sanctioning Jhon Durán’s departure to Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League on January 31.

The addition of Rashford provides Emery with another attacking option alongside Reggae Boy Leon Bailey and England international Ollie Watkins as Villa aim to build on their solid season and continue their strong push in the Champions League where they are through to the round of 16.