Man Utd frontrunners to sign £58m Rashford upgrade

Journeys to Molineux have usually marked notable moments for Manchester United star Marcus Rashford in latest occasions, with the Pink Devils’ Boxing Day conflict towards Wolverhampton Wanderers having been no completely different.

Again in December 2022, throughout Erik ten Hag’s first season in cost, the Englishman was dropped to the bench after he had been late to a staff assembly earlier within the week. The ahead, then in a wealthy vein of type publish the Qatar World Cup, duly responded by netting a superb solo effort after getting into the fray on the interval.

That will have been a small infraction as a result of a missed alarm, but issues had cranked up a notch when the 2 sides met within the Midlands once more earlier this 12 months. Rashford opened the scoring in that dramatic 4-3 victory, having been reinstated to the facet after initially being disciplined by Ten Hag for a mid-season journey to Belfast.

Amid a rocky relationship with the previous Ajax boss, the 27-year-old was little question hoping to take pleasure in a contemporary begin following Ruben Amorim’s arrival. Simply over a month into the Portuguese’s tenure, Rashford is already nowhere to be seen, with Thursday’s defeat to the Outdated Gold marking a fourth sport in a row with out the ahead even making the matchday squad.

With Amorim hinting that the academy graduate nonetheless hasn’t accomplished sufficient to win him over in his post-match interview – and with Rashford himself publicly admitting a need for “a brand new problem” – the curtain may quickly be drawn on his prolonged United affiliation. A substitute, and even an improve, will quickly be wanted.

Man Utd’s search to exchange Rashford

The Athletic reported on Boxing Day {that a} everlasting exit in January seems unlikely for the £300k-per-week drawback as a result of his hefty wage, though a mortgage departure may symbolize a possible compromise, within the mould of Jadon Sancho’s change to Borussia Dortmund earlier this 12 months.

Ought to United’s quantity ten transfer on to pastures new, an already waning ahead line can be left significantly depleted, therefore the necessity to fill that ‘void’.

With that in thoughts, stories in Spain have instructed that Amorim is personally pushing for the membership to land the star of their midweek defeat, Matheus Cunha, with the 39-year-old viewing the Brazilian because the ‘preferrred possibility’ to bolster his assault.

The suggestion is that the Outdated Trafford facet are ‘main the race’ for Cunha’s signature at current, though they might possible should cough up no less than €70m (£58m) – as reported elsewhere – to safe a January deal.

How Cunha compares to Rashford

It’s no actual shock that Cunha has caught the attention of Amorim and people at INEOS, with the previous Atletico Madrid man showcasing every thing that United – and Rashford – are missing throughout Wolves’ 2-0 triumph.

As journalist Samuel Luckhurst acknowledged through the sport, the in-form marksman was merely “sensational” on the day, representing a participant that the Pink Devils “should be trying to get” in 2025.

Certainly, not solely did Cunha curl within the sport’s opener immediately from a nook – in addition to tee up Hwang Hee-chan for the house facet’s second – however his work each out and in of possession was really outstanding, as indicated beneath.

Working behind centre-forward Jorgen Strand Larsen, the 25-year-old was an actual livewire, successful 14 duels, drawing 5 fouls and efficiently finishing 4 dribbles.

Described as “world-class” by journalist George Lakin – whereas additionally lauded as a “particular participant” by supervisor Vitor Pereira – the one-time Hertha Berlin man now boasts ten Premier League objectives this season, having additionally created 11 ‘large possibilities’ and registered an extra 4 assists, as per Sofascore.

Rashford, as an example, has scored simply 4 league objectives in 2024/25, whereas creating solely 4 ‘large possibilities’ and offering only a solitary help. Three of these strikes could have come underneath Amorim’s watch, though he nonetheless clearly is not doing sufficient to impress.

The distinction in type and high quality can be seen of their work defensively, with Cunha averaging two tackles and interceptions per sport within the top-flight this season. His United counterpart, in the meantime, averages simply 0.8 in that regard.

Equally, it isn’t as if this marketing campaign is a flash within the pan for Wolves’ talisman, as he additionally chipped in with 12 objectives and 9 assists in 2023/24, whereas Rashford distinctly underwhelmed underneath Ten Hag, with simply seven objectives and two assists to his identify.

Now outperforming United’s quantity ten throughout no less than the final 18 months, the in-demand expertise would symbolize the Premier League-proven improve that Amorim is craving.