Manchester United’s season is not over simply but, not if Ruben Amorim might help it, though the identical cannot be stated for Marcus Rashford, with the exiled Englishman trying set to overlook the rest of the marketing campaign by means of harm.
Presently on the books at Aston Villa, following his February mortgage swap to the Midlands, the 27-year-old must watch on as his mother or father membership bid for Europa League glory – eight years on from enjoying an important position in lifting that very same trophy underneath Jose Mourinho.
In what was simply his first full season within the senior ranks at Previous Trafford, the then-youngster notably got here alive within the knockout levels, racking up 5 targets and assists in whole, together with a surprising, essential free-kick away to Celta Vigo.
That impression had adopted on from Rashford’s emergence onto the scene a 12 months earlier within the closing few months of the 2015/16 season, having ended that marketing campaign with eight targets in simply 18 first-team video games underneath Louis van Gaal’s watch.
Maybe his prime years, nevertheless, got here throughout Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign, with the academy graduate registering 26 aim contributions in 31 Premier League video games in 2019/20, adopted by an additional 24 in 37 top-flight outings within the following season.
Rashford’s final 5 Man Utd seasons (all comps) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Season | Video games | Objectives | Assists |
2024/25* | 24 | 7 | 3 |
2023/24 | 43 | 8 | 6 |
2022/23 | 56 | 30 | 11 |
2021/22 | 32 | 5 | 2 |
2020/21 | 57 | 21 | 18 |
*Not together with document at Villa | |||
Stats through Transfermarkt | |||
A quick resurgence did happen in 2022/23, amid the ahead’s 30-goal heroics, though current years have showcased far an excessive amount of inconsistency, with the Three Lions star now trying set for a everlasting summer season exit. A possible youthful alternative seems to have already been lined up…
Newest on Man Utd’s seek for a ahead
Alongside the broadly reported transfer for Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers, the signing of a brand new centre-forward seems sizzling on the agenda for Amorim and INEOS this summer season, with Rasmus Hojlund having scored simply 4 league targets in 2024/25 to date.
As outlined by GIVEMESPORT, the Pink Devils have recognized Liam Delap and Victor Osimhen because the prime candidates within the seek for a brand new quantity 9, albeit with boths offers stated to be ‘sophisticated’.
Certainly, there are doubts over whether or not the £30m-rated Delap is eager on transferring to Previous Trafford at this level in his embryonic profession, whereas as for Osimhen, there are issues concerning the Nigerian’s potential wage calls for and willingness to really function for the membership.
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With that in thoughts, options to their pair are actually being drawn up, with the report outlining that a type of whom INEOS are additionally ‘maintaining tabs’ on is Eintracht Frankfurt sensation, Hugo Ekitike.
Beforehand on the books at Paris Saint-Germain – having additionally been closely linked with Newcastle United in previous – the Frenchman has dazzled in Germany this season, therefore the curiosity in him from these in Manchester.
One main impediment could be the 22-year-old’s reported £80m price ticket, though if any sort of leeway could be discovered, then he could come onto United’s radar in a extra concrete method.
Why Hugo Ekitike is sort of a prime Rashford
Following a tough few years underneath the Manchester United microscope, Rashford had regarded like getting again to his finest in a Villa shirt of late, previous to his current merciless harm blow.
Certainly, the skilled ahead notably scored his first league aim for the Villans with a breakaway aim on the counter in opposition to Brighton and Hove Albion, evoking recollections of his aim in opposition to Arsenal firstly of 2022/23, or his second strike within the 4-0 thrashing of Chelsea on the opening day of 2019/20.
Towards Paris Saint-Germain, in the meantime, the resurgent striker was additionally breathtaking at occasions as Unai Emery’s facet bravely crashed out on the quarter-final stage, with Rashford teeing up Ezri Konsa following a surprising solo run down the proper flank.
That pace and ability confirmed shades of the Rashford that United followers had seen in years passed by, with the polarising expertise having regarded virtually “unstoppable” in his pomp – as famous by Erik ten Hag.
In some ways, the aforementioned Ekitike is exhibiting thrilling similarities to that prime model of ‘Rashy’, not least in his capacity to glitter off the left or in his regular centre-forward berth.
This season, specifically, has been a fruitful one for the previous PSG starlet, as he has already registered 22 targets and an additional ten assists in 45 video games for Frankfurt throughout all fronts, together with 15 targets and 6 assists within the Bundesliga.
He’s then not too far off emulating Rashford’s best-ever Premier League tally, which got here, as alluded to beforehand, in 2019/20, amid his document of 17 targets and 9 assists throughout that Covid-impacted marketing campaign.
Ekitike (2024/25) vs Rashford (2019/20) | ||
|---|---|---|
Stat (per 90) | Ekitike | Rashford |
Non-penalty targets | 0.55 | 0.37 |
Assists | 0.24 | 0.24 |
Shot-creating actions | 3.68 | 3.24 |
Go completion | 75.8% | 75.3% |
Progressive passes | 1.92 | 4.22 |
Progressive carries | 3.41 | 3.58 |
Profitable take-ons | 1.88 | 2.04 |
Touches in attacking penalty space | 7.21 | 5.18 |
Progressive passes obtained | 7.80 | 8.51 |
Stat through FBref | ||
Described as “top-of-the-line strikers on the market” by information analyst Ben Mattinson, Ekitike does mirror the United outcast in a spread of attacking metrics too, when evaluating these two seasons, with the Frankfurt talisman additionally one thing of a monster in that left channel.
That high quality was on full show because the in-demand marksman netted in effective style in opposition to Tottenham Hotspur within the Europa League, working at his man from that left flank, earlier than unleashing a pleasant end into the far nook.
It’s tough to not see a component of Rashford at his finest when witnessing Ekitike in full movement, with the France U21 worldwide probably representing the proper successor to the Pink Devils’ 138-goal enigma.
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