Aston Villa are prepared to make an offer and re-sign a former star who manager Unai Emery said had 'big' potential.

Villa braced for Europa League final after Champions League qualification

Friday night at Villa Park was special.

Villa dismantled Liverpool 4-2 in front of a raucous home crowd, with Ollie Watkins scoring twice and Morgan Rogers and John McGinn adding goals of their own to seal Champions League qualification with a game to spare.

Virgil van Dijk grabbed a brace in reply, but it was never enough.

Villa were clinical, fearless and utterly dominant for long stretches — exactly the kind of performance that reminded the rest of the Premier League why Emery's side are not simply a project anymore.

They are the real deal.

The result moved Villa into fourth guaranteed their place among Europe's elite for a second time in three seasons.

More importantly, it frees the squad to turn their full attention to Wednesday's Europa League final against Freiburg in Istanbul — the club's first appearance in a major European showpiece since they lifted the European Cup in 1982.

Win it, and Emery adds a fifth Europa League to his extraordinary collection.

The magnitude of what lies ahead cannot be overstated.

Behind the celebrations, though, the summer planning is already in motion, and one familiar name is reportedly right at the top of the agenda.

Aston Villa prepared to make bid for Marcus Rashford

According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Villa are prepared to make a bid for Marcus Rashford.

The Man United-owned forward spent the second half of last season on loan at Villa Park before heading to Barcelona on a season-long deal last summer.

The 28-year-old England international flourished under Emery during that short spell in the Midlands, scoring four goals and providing six assists in 17 appearances.

The relationship between player and manager was strong, and Emery has never hidden his admiration for what Rashford can offer, saying he had 'big' potential.

The opportunity has arisen because of Barcelona's financial situation.

Despite Rashford producing one of the best seasons of his career — 14 goals and 14 assists in 48 appearances — the Catalans are reluctant to trigger the £24m buy option in his loan agreement with United.

Hansi Flick wants to keep him, the sporting department wants to keep him, and Rashford himself has reportedly agreed to take a 40 per cent wage cut to make a permanent deal work.

However, Barca's well-documented budget constraints mean they are pushing for another loan extension instead, a structure United have categorically rejected.

The Red Devils' position is straightforward: pay the £24m or the player comes back to Old Trafford.

Michael Carrick has stated publicly that he is counting on Rashford for next season, and there is no appetite within the INEOS-led hierarchy to lower the asking price.

That creates an opening for Villa.

Mundo Deportivo's report explicitly acknowledges that Emery's interest is a factor Barcelona are conscious of, with the Spanish publication noting that the Villa manager will push for the winger.

Villa's Champions League status strengthens their hand considerably — they can offer elite European football, a familiar manager, a system Rashford has already thrived in, and the financial resources to compete with Barcelona's valuation.

The complication is Rashford's own preference.

The player's first choice is to remain at Camp Nou, and he is said to be determined to explore every possible avenue to stay in Catalonia permanently. He has described his time in Spain as transformative and believes he is earning his place under Flick.

But if Barcelona cannot find the money — and United will not bend on the price — Rashford will need a Plan B.

Villa Park, Champions League football, and a manager who got the best out of him once before is about as attractive as any alternative gets.