Emery has struck gold on Aston Villa star who is worth more than Rashford

Aston Villa enjoyed a rather productive January transfer window. First of all, they managed to sell Jaden Philogene to Ipswich Town for £20m, making a profit on the youngster.

Secondly, they signed two attacking players who could make a big difference between now and the end of the season.

Donyell Malen joined from Borussia Dortmund a few weeks ago, while Marcus Rashford moved to Villa Park on loan from Manchester United, with a £40m buy option inserted into the deal.

Unai Emery’s side are chasing a place in the top four of the Premier League table. Signing Rashford could be an inspired one with regard to that ambition.

Why Aston Villa signed Marcus Rashford

Since Ruben Amorim took charge of Manchester United, Rashford featured just four times under the Portuguese manager, scoring three goals.

It became clear that the Englishman wasn’t going to play a part in Amorim’s system going forward and a move away from Old Trafford could be the best thing to happen to him.

Despite a relatively quiet season by his standards, Rashford has still created four big chances, averages one key pass and has scored four goals in the top flight. That said, despite the fact he’s not been fit and firing this term, this is still a player who has scored 87 Premier League goals.

At Villa, Emery will likely give him more consistent game time and if he hits top form, it could be a wise signing indeed.

The manager may already have a player at the club who is worth way more than Rashford, however.

Aston Villa talent is worth even more than Marcus Rashford

Someone who has been superb during the 2024/25 campaign is another English talent in Morgan Rogers.

The second half of the 2023/24 season saw Rogers begin to make his mark at Villa, scoring three goals and registering an assist in just 11 Premier League games since his move from Middlesbrough.

It was evident Emery had a prodigious talent on his hands, but even he might have been shocked at just how well the Englishman has performed throughout 2024/25.

In August, U23 scout Antonio Mango waxed lyrical about the winger, saying that he was “terrific” and “brave”, someone who has “all you characteristics you want in a young footballer.”

That’s certainly been true of Rogers in 2024/25. With ten goals and five assists already, including a stunning hat-trick against Celtic in the Champions League, the former Boro star has emerged as a key player under Emery. No doubt about that.

Compared to his peers in the top flight, the starlet even ranks in the top 7% for goals per shot on target and in the top 11% for through balls per 90, yet more evidence of his effectiveness in the final third.

These incredible performances over the previous 12 months have seen his market value soar.

Indeed, according to the CIES Football Observatory, Rogers is now currently valued at a staggering £74m, which is a staggering rise, especially considering the Villa Park side paid just £15m to sign him last year.

This also means he is worth nearly double that of Rashford if going by the buy clause in his loan deal, indicating that Emery has hit the jackpot on the 22-year-old sensation.