Emery remains tight-lipped on Rashford's future amid £20m Man Utd bill

Rashford has been in fine form under Emery, scoring twice and assisting four goals since joining Villa on loan in January. His brace against Preston in the FA Cup quarter-finals has sparked further speculation that Villa could trigger the option to buy him for £40 million at the end of the season.

However, when asked about the player's future after his two-goal performance, Emery was non-committal. "Not yet," he said. "The most important thing is the challenge now and this afternoon, recovering, and then preparing for the match against Brighton tomorrow."

The Spanish manager emphasised that there are still many matches to play, and the club's future European competitions and potential trophy wins could influence decisions on player signings. "Still, there are a lot of matches to play. If we are in the Champions League, if we are in the Europa League, if we are in the European Conference League, or not in Europe or winning a trophy, it is completely different."

The Villa boss continued, focusing on the immediate task at hand: "A decision about each individual player… it is to get the best of them and the best of us. We don't want to waste time thinking about it."

United are left in a difficult position, knowing that any outcome regarding his future will be costly. If Rashford does leave, the Red Devils would have to pay off the remaining part of his £325,000-a-week contract, which could add up to £20 million.