Krishnan Sreekumar
Transfer News: Arsenal plot ambitious plan for Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford in the summer
According to the Mirror, Arsenal are plotting an ambitious transfer swoop for Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford at the end of the season, with the player’s relationship with the club turning sour in recent weeks.
Rashford is one of the best prospects to have come through the ranks at Carrington and established himself in the first team at United, with the Englishman becoming a fan favourite ever since making his debut for the senior side under then-manager Louis van Gaal.
The forward burst onto the scene by scoring a brace in his first game for his boyhood club in the Europa League and then following it up with another double in the Premier League against Arsenal. Safe to say, he made his way into the hearts of the Stretford End almost immediately.
However, the past couple of seasons have seen Rashford look out of form and low on confidence on the pitch, with the striker looking like a shadow of the player he once was. Only 24, the England international has plenty of football in him, but it remains to be seen whether it is played out in Manchester.
Gunners lifeline for Rashford
Apart from falling down the pecking order in the team this campaign, there seem to be off-field incidents with the academy graduate that has worsened his relationship with his boyhood club after an incident with supporters following the Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid earlier this month.
Rashford was forced to issue a clarification on social media in the aftermath of the incident, which has done nothing to fuel rumours that there is trouble in paradise at Old Trafford. With this playing in the background, Arsenal have stepped up to the plate to offer the United star an escape route in the summer.
The Gunners will be in the market in the summer transfer window on the hunt for a striker, after losing forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Barcelona in January. To add to that, Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are set to be out-of-contract this summer, which means that attacking options are short next season.
The prospect of Rashford leaving the Theatre of Dreams is hard to think of, given that he has grown up and developed his skills at the club ever since he was a young boy. However, his lack of form and the recent off-field incident seems to have soured his relationship with United, which could change everything at the end of the season.
Mikel Arteta has done brilliantly with young forwards this season, with Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Martin Odegaard, and Gabriel Martinelli flourishing in their careers under the Spanish manager at the Emirates Stadium. Perhaps Rashford may be tempted by this prospect, given that his own career seems to be at a crossroads this term.
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With a new manager coming into Manchester this summer, it remains to be seen if there is a u-turn in Rashford’s situation at United. A fresh start is expected at Old Trafford ahead of the new season, and the Englishman would perhaps be looking to make the most of the situation as he looks to get his playing career back on track with the Red Devils.
With Cristiano Ronaldo’s age and Edinson Cavani’s uncertain future at Old Trafford beyond this summer, any potential exit for Rashford would then surely make the fans want United to look for a replacement. Mason Greenwood’s suspension makes things worse for us but Anthony Elanga has perhaps seemingly plugged the gap that the Englishman left earlier this season.
