Man Utd chase £50m Rashford & Elanga hybrid who’s ‘one of the best in PL’

Off the again of a 30-goal season in 2022/23 underneath Erik ten Hag, it will have appeared ridiculous to recommend that just below two years later, Manchester United’s academy sensation, Marcus Rashford, can be lining up for anybody aside from the Pink Devils.

As it’s, the Englishman – who left the membership on mortgage in February – is now a part of an Aston Villa aspect chasing FA Cup and Champions League glory, with a top-five end additionally in attain for Unai Emery’s high-flying aspect.

Three targets and 4 assists have come the 27-year-old’s means in simply 13 video games in his new momentary dwelling, with Emery even opting to start out his red-hot ahead forward of compatriot, Ollie Watkins for Wednesday’s first-leg conflict with Paris Saint-Germain.

There could also be these ruing Ruben Amorim’s determination to let Rashford depart, though it is price remembering that the 2022/23 marketing campaign was merely an outlier in what had been a turbulent previous few years for the £300k-per-week star again at Outdated Trafford.

With Rashford already outlining his want for “a brand new problem” again in December, that is certainly the start of the tip for his United journey. Now, INEOS want to accumulate an acceptable alternative.

Man Utd’s seek for a brand new ahead

The identify doing the rounds at current is that of Wolverhampton Wanderers talisman, Matheus Cunha, with stories earlier this week suggesting that contact has already been made with the Brazilian’s agent, forward of a possible summer season swoop.

It might seem that the Pink Devils are placing collectively a contingency plan in case they are not in a position to land the 25-year-old, nevertheless, with GIVEMESPORT outlining that Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo can be into account.

As per the report, Amorim and co are on ‘pink alert’ after assessing the info surrounding Mbeumo’s shows for the Bees this season, with there mentioned to be ‘rising confidence’ that the Cameroon worldwide might reignite United’s misfiring ahead line.

The piece outlines that whereas it will take a sizeable provide to land the 25-year-old, believed to be within the area of £50m, the wing wizard may very well be up for grabs as he enters the ultimate yr of his contract on the Gtech Neighborhood Stadium.

Able to working off the suitable flank or via the center, the France-born sensation might symbolize the proper addition to Amorim’s attacking ranks, forward of subsequent season.

How Mbeumo compares to Rashford & Elanga

Not solely have United seen Rashford discover type once more away from the Theatre of Desires, however one other academy graduate – Anthony Elanga – has additionally dazzled since shifting to Nottingham Forest on a £15m deal again in 2023, having notably scored the decisive purpose in beautiful vogue in opposition to his former membership final week.

The Swedish speedster has racked up 29 targets and assists in 74 video games since shifting to the Metropolis Floor, albeit with Amorim seemingly refuting claims that it had been a mistake to promote the winger, after he was given a “likelihood” to impress again in Manchester.

Even so, there’s a lingering frustration over the choice to money in on the 22-year-old on a budget, albeit with the signing of Mbeumo permitting these of a United persuasion to neglect all about Elanga – and Rashford – as a result of his standing as “among the finest gamers within the Premier League”, in response to Sky Sports activities’ Dan Bardell.

Certainly, the previous Troyes starlet – who joined Thomas Frank’s aspect in 2019 – has scored 16 targets and supplied an extra 5 assists within the top-flight in 2024/25 up to now, coming near bettering Rashford’s greatest ever tally of 17 league targets, which he achieved in 2019/20 and 2022/23.

Described as “unplayable” at occasions by the aforementioned Frank, Mbeumo has lit up the division in latest occasions, with the left-footer ending final time period with 15 targets and assists to his identify, regardless of being hampered by damage.

Apparently, too, the 2 most statistically comparable forwards to the Brentford talisman within the league, as per FBref, are literally Rashford and Elanga, with Mbeumo possessing the searing tempo of the latter, in addition to the centre-forward instincts of the previous – seemingly the proper hybrid.

As indicated within the desk above, it’s the Bees man who comes on high throughout a string of attacking and defensive metrics in 2024/25, indicating that whereas he might possess the traits of his two Premier League counterparts, he would truly symbolize an improve so far as Amorim is worried.

With 54 targets and assists in 129 top-flight video games up to now in English soccer, Mbeumo would symbolize the ready-made answer that United are desperately craving within the ahead line.