Marcus Rashford has joined Aston Villa on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season, ending the saga around the England international's future.

Sources told ESPN the deal includes an option to make the transfer permanent. Villa have agreed to cover a substantial part of Rashford's wage, and other performance-related bonuses have been built into the deal.

If Villa do not take up their option, Rashford will be expected back at Old Trafford in the summer.

"I would like to thank Manchester United and Aston Villa for making this loan deal happen," Rashford wrote in a post on Instagram after the move was confirmed.

"I was lucky to have a few clubs approach me, but Aston Villa was an easy decision -- I really admire the way that Aston Villa have been playing this season, and the manager's ambitions. I just want to play football and am excited to get started. I wish everyone at Manchester United all the best for the rest of the season."

Rashford had not featured for United since their Europa League win over Viktoria Plzen on Dec. 12 amid head coach Ruben Amorim's concerns about the player's application in training.

After United's 1-0 win over Fulham on Jan. 26, Amorim said he would rather pick 63-year-old goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital than Rashford after concerns about the 27-year-old's standards.

Rashford said that he was "ready for a new challenge" after he was omitted from United's squad for the derby against Manchester City on Dec. 15.

"Everyone at Manchester United wishes Marcus good luck for the rest of the season," the 13-time Premier League champions said in a statement.

Villa were searching for an option to reinforce their attack after sanctioning Jhon Durán's exit to Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League on Jan. 31. Aston Villa coach Unai Emery can call upon Rashford's considerable experience for the second half of the season after they reached the round of 16 in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Rashford's departure, albeit temporary for now, seems likely to end his 20-year association with United after he came through the club's academy and broke into the first team at the age of 18.

A source told ESPN that Rashford's initial preference was to move to Barcelona. However, the LaLiga side's financial constraints made a deal complicated.

Borussia Dortmund also expressed interest in Rashford, but his weekly wage of around 350,000 per week ($434,000) proved to be a major stumbling block.

Rashford scored 30 goals in the 2022-23 season, the most prolific of his career, but has not approached that level since. He has scored seven goals in all competitions this season.

In total, Rashford has scored 138 goals in 426 appearances for United. He has won the Europa League, two FA Cups and two Carabao Cups during his time at Old Trafford.

He has also scored 17 goals for England. He has played in two World Cups and two European Championships for his country.

Rashford made a name for himself for his off-the-field work during the pandemic when his lobbying led to the British government agreeing to keep funding meals for students from low-income households after initial resistance.

Information from Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report