Marcus Rashford is undergoing a medical ahead of his surprise loan move to Aston Villa from Manchester United.

Villa are set to cover 75 per cent of Rashford’s £325,000-a-week wages and have an option to sign the England forward permanently for £40 million in the summer. Depending on a number of performance-related bonuses, they could end up paying up to 90 per cent of his salary.

Rashford had been holding out for a loan move to Barcelona but any such deal was always going to be fraught with complications. However, Villa’s late move appealed to Rashford with the player attracted by the offer of Champions League football and aware of the impressive job Unai Emery has done at the Midlands club and the impact he has had with attackers.

The forward is also keen to force his way back into the England squad and is hoping to get back to his best over the coming months.

The 27-year-old has not played for United since December 12 after being dropped by Ruben Amorim over his attitude and performances in training. United have been linked with a loan move for Villa’s Leon Bailey but that is thought to be unlikely at this stage. They are also one of the clubs who have looked at a loan deal for Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel.

Rashford’s impending move to Villa Park comes as United confirmed the signing of Denmark left-back Patrick Dorgu from Lecce, subject to acquiring a visa. He will not be involved against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

United have agreed to pay the Italian club an initial £25 million for the defender with a further £4.2 million payable in add-ons. He has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract to June 2030 with the option of another year.

Left wing-back has been a problem position in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system since he succeeded Erik ten Hag in November and he is hoping Dorgu will prove a strong long-term addition.

“I am incredibly proud to be able to call myself a Manchester United player; this is a very special day for my whole family,” Dorgu said. “I cannot wait to work with Ruben Amorim; his vision for this team and the future of the club is incredibly exciting. There is a clear plan set out for my development, and I feel that Manchester United is the perfect place to fulfil my potential and complete my huge ambitions.”

Jason Wilcox, United’s technical director, said: “Patrick is a really exciting talent; his strong defensive and attacking attributes, adaptability and work-rate will make him a key part of Ruben Amorim’s squad. Patrick has had a superb start to his career, and at the age of just 20, we know he will continue to develop under the guidance of our excellent coaching team.

“Patrick is the latest exciting young player that we have bought into the club. We believe that each of these talents has world-class potential and the ability to play a key role in achieving the success that everyone at Manchester United is striving for.”