Arsenal are seemingly searching for attacking firepower this January after what has been a frustrating few weeks for the Gunners. Mikel Arteta’s side have certainly been struggling for goals, having scored just four times in their last four games at the Emirates Stadium.
Saka will be out for quite some time, and given he is their main source of goals, that is a blow for the North Londoners. He has nine goals and 13 assists in all competitions for the Gunners this term.
Without their talismanic number seven, it has certainly been a struggle for Arteta’s side. Thus, it might be no surprise they are linked with another Premier League attacker this January.
Arsenal target Premier League attacker
The player in question here is Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford. The 27-year-old’s future at Old Trafford has been up in the air of late, and he could well depart United in the coming days.
According to a report from Italian journalist Massimo Marianella, the Gunners “have made a phone call to Manchester United for Rashford”, should a move in the January transfer window become a possibility.
Unsurprisingly, Arteta’s side are not the only club who want to try and sign the England international this winter. Italian giants Juventus and AC Milan and German side Borussia Dortmund are also interested. La Liga outfit Barcelona have also emerged as serious candidates for the winger.
In terms of a price for the 27-year-old, Arsenal are believed to be looking at paying around €25m (£21m). At this stage, however, it is not clear if United would accept that or demand a higher price for their academy star.
Why Rashford would be a good signing
Despite a tough time of late for Rashford, the United star has not put up terrible numbers in the 2024/25 season. He has played 24 times in all competitions this season, with seven goals and three assists, coming in 1500 minutes, the equivalent of 16 full 90 minutes.
His United record is, quite simply, outstanding. The England international has represented his boyhood club 426 times, scoring 138 goals and grabbing 63 assists. On four occasions, he has scored ten or more Premier League goals in a season.
There is no doubt that Rashford can explode, as he showed in the 2022/23 campaign for the Red Devils. The United number ten was incredible that season, scoring 30 goals and grabbing nine assists in 56 games across all competitions.
Three of those 30 strikes came against his potential new club Arsenal, with the one at the Emirates Stadium summing Rashford up perfectly.
He played a one-two with Bruno Fernandes, nutmegged the defender to find some space and fired the ball home from 22 yards out. It was for moments like those that football statistician Statman Dave described him as a “big game player”.
Similarities can be drawn between Rashford and another Arsenal target, Alexander Isak of Newcastle United. The Gunners have been linked with the Swede in recent times, although he could cost upwards of £150m.
Like Rashford, the Newcastle number 14 was fantastic in the 2022/23 campaign. He scored 13 goals and grabbed four assists in 18 Premier League games, although did struggle with injuries that season.
It might not be a surprise that Rashford and Isak can be compared statistically from the 2022/23 season on FBref. For example, the United star averaged 0.69 goals and assists and 0.44 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes.
Comparatively, Isak averaged 0.65 goals and assists and 0.3 goal-creating actions each game.
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Rashford & Isak key stats 2022/23 PL season compared |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90) |
Rashford |
Isak |
|
G/A |
0.69 |
0.65 |
|
Goals per shot on target |
0.35 |
0.35 |
|
Key passes |
0.94 |
0.95 |
|
Goal-creating actions |
0.44 |
0.3 |
|
Progressive carries |
2.66 |
2.43 |
|
Stats from FBref |
||
As the stats show, the similarities between Rashford and Isak at their very best are extraordinary. For just £21m, this could be a bargain for Arsenal and allow them to strengthen elsewhere with the money left over.
Rashford’s United teammate Andre Onana described him as “one of the best players in the world” at the end of last season. He has shown that kind of form regularly throughout his career, and the Emirates Stadium could be the place where he can get back to his best.
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