Marcus Rashford’s time at Aston Villa should be over, according to club great Gabby Agbonlahor.

The England forward spent the second half of the season on loan at Villa Park and impressed in a run to the Champions League quarter-finals.

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Marcus Rashford, who has only ever played for his hometown team Manchester United, now appears set to depart following the allocation of his No.10 shirt to £62.5 million signee Matheus Cunha.

According to reports, United is seeking £40 million for their leading scorer of the 2022/23 season. However, Agbonlahor has discussed why Aston Villa shouldn’t pay that amount, even if it’s within their budget.

“The main reason why I don’t think he should come is he’s going to upset the changing room,” the talkSPORT host explained. 

“If you’re Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins, or Ezri Konsa, you might be thinking, ‘Rashford’s joining us on a £300,000 weekly salary. Alright, then, I want £300,000 a week too.’”

“That’s what happens in changing rooms. The £40million is not the problem, it’s the wages.

“And Aston Villa’s wage bill is massive. I think it might be over 90 per cent of their revenue, so you can’t be going above maybe £200,000 a week.”

Rashford himself might not be too keen on a return either, despite rediscovering some form at Villa Park, registering four goals and six assists in 17 games.

“I think certain players want to play Champions League football,” Agbonlahor explained “Marcus Rashford’s already said that he wants Champions League football.”

Europe’s top tier competition isn’t on offer at either United or Villa, with Rashford’s parent club finishing a shocking 15th in the Premier League and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham.

Villa, meanwhile, needed a result against United on the final day of the season to finish fifth and secure a Champions League return, but lost, albeit in controversial circumstances.

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talkSPORT understands that Rashford is now holding out for a dream move to LaLiga and Copa del Rey winners Barcelona and has already held talks with sporting director Deco.

Yet due to his substantial £350,000 per-week salary demands, it’s likely to be another loan for Rashford.

Villa, meanwhile, have repairs to do elsewhere, with Agbonlahor listing another striker, right-back and centre-back as the club’s priorities.

Things won’t be easy, though, as the former England striker explained.

“Because you’re missing out on the Champions League money, you’ve got to sell more players that you would have liked to,” he said.

“It’s a dreaded time as a football fan, we want to keep our players, add players and build.

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“These PSR [profitability and sustainability] rules are so frustrating for clubs like Villa, Newcastle, where they have to sell most seasons.

“It’s just frustrating when we’ve sold Jhon Duran, Moussa Diaby, Douglas Luiz. And then 12 months later, we’ve got the same problem. You have to sell again.”

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