Man Utd in talks over £200k-p/w ace who’d get Rashford firing

It might be a brand new Premier League season, but it surely appeared very very similar to the identical previous Manchester United on the weekend, with Erik ten Hag’s males failing to banish final 12 months’s demons after conceding on the demise on the Amex.

That Ninety fifth-minute winner from an unmarked Joao Pedro ensured that it’s now three seasons in a row through which United have fallen to defeat in opposition to Brighton and Hove Albion within the early knockings of a marketing campaign, with bitter rivals Liverpool to return subsequent in top-flight motion.

Maybe the Seagulls are merely a bogey workforce for Ten Hag, however Saturday’s 2-1 loss has sparked concern that 2024/25 may effectively be extra of the identical for the Pink Devils, with the continued woes of Marcus Rashford a specific fear.

The England worldwide – who scored simply eight targets in all competitions final season – was withdrawn on the hour mark on the south coast after a largely ineffective show, with pundit Alan Shearer noting that the 26-year-old is “not a teenager anymore” and must get his act collectively.

Extra is actually anticipated of the £300k-per-week marksman, though maybe he’s merely in want of help behind him to lastly get firing once more…

Man Utd’s seek for a left-back

All of the speak at current is centred across the Previous Trafford facet’s pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, Manuel Ugarte, with a transfer for the Uruguayan seemingly all however executed following the information that the 23-year-old is heading to England to endure a medical.

Whereas it will be a shock for additional strikes to comply with after the seize of Ugarte, journalist Graeme Bailey has revealed that United have held talks with Chelsea over the signing of Ben Chilwell, with the Englishman one in every of many to have been exiled from Enzo Maresca’s first-team squad.

Curiosity within the £200k-per-week full-back has come amid the Blues’ obvious pursuit of United’s personal ‘outcast’, Jadon Sancho, with it but to be seen whether or not a swap deal involving the 2 compatriots might be on the playing cards.

Why Ben Chilwell could be signing

Rashford himself should take a justifiable share of the blame for his woes of late, but the shortage of a recognised left-back behind him has actually not helped issues, with Luke Shaw having made simply 15 appearances final season, whereas Tyrell Malacia hasn’t featured in any respect for the membership since Could 2023.

With the pair each at present sidelined – and with younger Harry Amass solely 17 – Ten Hag has been compelled to show to Diogo Dalot and Lisandro Martinez in that function in latest weeks, regardless of the pair extra naturally suited to working at right-back and centre-back, respectively.

As The Athletic’s Carl Anka acknowledged earlier this 12 months, “Rashford wants an overlapping full-back” with a purpose to actually hearth at his greatest, with the addition of a determine like Chilwell – even when simply on a short-term foundation – capable of present that attacking outlet.

Whereas the previous Leicester Metropolis star has endured damage woes of his personal in latest occasions, at his greatest he’s a participant with a “nice engine” and an actual willingness to bomb ahead – as per Tony Cottee – making certain he might be the overlapping presence that Rashford is craving.

That can be backed up by the truth that the 27-year-old ranks within the prime 10% amongst his friends in Europe’s prime 5 leagues for touches within the attacking penalty space, in addition to within the prime 9% for progressive passes obtained.

The one-time £50m man can be capable of drive his facet up the pitch as he ranks within the prime 14% for progressive carries, additional indicating that want to hitch the assault and help the person forward of him.

A carry is taken into account progressive if the ball is moved in direction of the opponent’s purpose not less than 10 yards from its start line or is carried into the penalty space.

Importantly, Chilwell additionally boasts the top product to match, having notably supplied 21 targets and assists in 106 video games for the west Londoners to this point. That isn’t far off Shaw’s return of 32 purpose involvements, however from 275 outings.

It’s maybe no coincidence that Rashford’s greatest scoring season – through which he scored 30 occasions in 2022/23 – got here in the identical marketing campaign through which Shaw made his joint-most appearances for the membership in a single time period (47), additional proof of how the ahead advantages when having a daily left-back behind him.

With Shaw having now turn out to be considerably unreliable, nonetheless, it may take the signing of a determine like Chilwell to United’s quantity ten actually firing as soon as once more.