Marcus Rashford pursued by Serie A club before he left Man United in Aston Villa loan switch

Rashford was linked with a number of clubs across Europe after he revealed he was "ready for a new challenge" in his career.

Man United boss Ruben Amorim also banished Rashford from the first-team set-up, paving the way for Rashford to leave the club before the transfer deadline.

The likes of Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, AC Milan and Juventus were all mentioned as potential destinations for the 27-year-old.

However, he eventually moved to another Premier League club, joining Aston Villa on loan for the rest of the season with a £40m option to buy.

Como president confirms failed Rashford move

While he is focused on his work with Unai Emery's side, it has now been revealed that Como were interested in adding Rashford to Cesc Fabregas's side in the winter window.

Como president Suwarso admitted the club "tried" when asked whether there was an effort to sign Rashford and AC Milan defender Theo Hernandez.

"We tried to do our best to give our coach the players he needed for his style of football," Suwarso told Sky Italia.

"We analysed our needs and, when possible, we tried to resolve them. You have read about many names. Well, not all of them, but many were true. We were close to many players, some of whom did not leave."

"Yes, we tried, but we are also aware that we are a small club, so there are people who still do not take us seriously.

Champions aspirations stopped Como landing top players

"When these big names hear about Como, they say 'no, I want to play in the Champions League. This makes sense, we understand well what we can and cannot do.

We dream. As human beings, this is what always makes us move forward. Every day we look forward to something bigger, every day we try to do something better than the day before."

A move to Como would have seen Rashford reunite with his former England teammate Dele Alli, who joined the Serie A side as a free agent in January.

However, Rashford may have been reluctant to join a club battling to survive in the Italian top flight, especially as he is now at a club that are competing in the Champions League last 16.

The Man United loanee made his Villa debut as a substitute in Sunday's 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup fourth round.

Rashford will hope to enjoy more playing time when Villa welcome relegation-threatened Ipswich Town to Villa Park for Saturday's Premier League contest.

Written by

Ben Sully