Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim may be busy trying to save his side’s faltering season, but he will also have one eye on potential summer transfer activity at Old Trafford.
Man Utd salvage late point at Goodison Park
Summing up an inconsistent run of form under Amorim, Manchester United salvaged a late point at Goodison Park on Saturday lunchtime despite finding themselves victims of a two-goal deficit against David Moyes’ in-form outfit.
Beto and Abdoulaye Docoure appeared to have put the Red Devils on the verge of another demoralising defeat, but a late free-kick from Bruno Fernandes was followed up by an inch-perfect Manuel Ugarte strike to guarantee a share of the spoils.
Nevertheless, a common theme was present in the Merseyside sunshine. United’s disconnect within the backline was exposed ruthlessly, while a lack of firepower from the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee threatened to consign the visitors to another damaging loss.
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Man Utd’s lack of firepower in attack across all competitions |
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Rasmus Hojlund |
Appearances – 33 |
Goals – 7 |
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Joshua Zirkzee |
Appearances – 38 |
Goals – 5 |
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Chido Obi-Martin |
Appearances – 2 |
Goals – 0 |
On this occasion, two key vessels in the engine room stepped up to save the Red Devils from further frustration. Either way, they sit 15th in the Premier League standings and will look to the Europa League and FA Cup to provide some solace in a campaign that is petering out.
Come the summer, funds need to be raised for Amorim to breed fresh ideas. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS helped to bring Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven to Old Trafford in January, but they will want to maximise profit to enact a full rebuild ahead of 2025/26.
Man Utd set price for Marcus Rashford with Bayern keen
Marcus Rashford became Manchester United’s main January window casualty after a fallout with Amorim led the England international to join Aston Villa on loan for the remainder of the campaign. He has since kicked on at Villa Park, lodging two assists in the Villans’ dramatic 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Saturday evening.
Looking ahead to the summer, reports in Spain indicate Bayern Munich want to sign Rashford for £40 million and their sporting director Christoph Freund is said to be heavily involved in negotiations to land the Three Lions attacker, with the German giants going ‘all in’ for the player still on the books of Man Utd.
Labelled ‘fantastic’ by Jamie Redknapp after his exploits against Chelsea, the £300,000-a-week man is at a career crossroads given his age and has raised his market value owing to a series of impressive cameos since pitching up in the West Midlands.
Thriving off the left flank, Rashford created three chances at home to Enzo Maresca’s stuttering Blues and recorded a pass completion rate of 94% alongside five touches in the opposition penalty area.
Clearly enjoying his football in the midst of a difficult first half of the campaign at his boyhood club, his recent form may pave the way for Manchester United to cash in on his services for a premium should appropriate interest arise for the talented forward.
Attempting to strike up a bidding war would be the best course of action for the Red Devils, with long-overdue investment in the first team needed to propel the club back to a position where they can challenge for trophies on a regular basis.