Arsenal take on Manchester United in the FA Cup this evening but it may not be the final time the two sides meet this month as Italian outlet Calcio Mercato (h/t 90min) has reported that the Gunners have ‘enquired’ about Marcus Rashford’s situation. Mikel Arteta is looking to add some firepower in his final third and as a result, the 27-year-old’s name has come into the picture.
The English international opened up about being open to pursue a fresh challenge having fallen out of favour under Ruben Amorim with a number of clubs seeing themselves linked with the player. Rashford is widely expected to depart Old Trafford this month and Arsenal’s interest in him comes as no surprise given that they value him at only £21 million, possibly believing he would be available for around the ballpark.
Arsenal should look beyond Rashford
There is no denying that Marcus Rashford can be a terrific player on his day but in the last few months, he has been a shadow of his potential in more appearances than not. Ruben Amorim’s exiling of the player from a few matchday squads at Manchester United hints a problem with his training regime, something that Mikel Arteta simply cannot tolerate right now.
Raheem Sterling’s loan from Chelsea in the summer was undertaken amidst a lot of promise but has been a prospect that has failed to this point and Rashford’s case at Man United broadcasts a similar picture. He simply does not seem fit for a club that is wanting to challenge for the Premier League, more from a mentality perspective than quality.
The Gunners’ valuation of Rashford amounting to £21 million also seems a bit far fetched as Man United will look to secure much more than that, not least if the forward leaves for a domestic rival. And if that were not enough, a number of bargain options such as the likes of Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sane are available to Arteta this month, who are far more successful and better players than the Mancunian star.
It will be interesting to see if there is any truth in Arsenal’s links with Rashford but even before they have hinted at materialising, there are a number of reasons why he would not be a good fit at the Emirates Stadium.
