Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has confirmed he would like to add up to three more players to his squad ahead of Monday's transfer deadline amid their quest to sign Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford.

The Manchester Evening News understands Villa are closing in on the signing of the England international and are hopeful of getting a deal over the line ahead of Monday evening's 11pm transfer deadline.

The attacker has been frozen out at Old Trafford by head coach Ruben Amorim, last playing for United when they beat Viktoria Plzen 2-1 in the Europa League on December 12. He has been left out of 11 of the last 12 matchday squads since then.

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United are open to letting Rashford go ahead of the deadline and the forward has also expressed a desire to leave. He was understood to be keen on a move to Barcelona but their financial situation put a deal in doubt.

Rashford's £325,000-a-week wage packet could present issues for any club keen on borrowing him for the rest of the season, but Villa are progressing with a move to sign the 27-year-old.

As quoted by our sister title, BirminghamLive, Emery said: "Hopefully in two or three days we can join two or three players with us. I am going to be very motivated to get collectively here our objective.

"It is not normal, at the moment, what we are doing in this transfer window. But there are different circumstances we have to accept.

"There are still a few days until we close the transfer window and the club is working and we have to do something fast. I am very happy how the players are responding. We played some matches where players were close to leaving and we were responding and getting the performance we needed. I am proud of them.

"It is going to be difficult joining more players with us in the next days. But we are being a very good team competing in different competitions with the players we have had. I am happy, for example, how Lamare Bogarde is responding and progressing. When we are missing players it is an opportunity for others, like him.

"In case we are keeping the same squad and not adding players I will be confident we can compete in the Premier League and Champions League. But of course we are trying to add better, add more options to play with capacity and skill they can add."