Man Utd eyeing “superstar” Rashford upgrade in January - sports news foot

Ruben Amorim fired his first statement win as Manchester United boss with a stunning late comeback to defeat rivals Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad.

A late penalty from Bruno Fernandes looked to have snatched a draw for Man United before Amad Diallo stole in front of goalkeeper Ederson to cooly slot home from Lisandro Martínez‘s clip in behind the City defence.

The result may not have lifted United in the Premier League table but it has certainly lifted the mood and optimism at Old Trafford and was the club’s second consecutive victory following a 2-1 win at Plzen in the Europa League.

However, a huge talking point before the Manchester derby was the omission of striker Marcus Rashford from the matchday squad altogether. It seems Rashford’s days at United could be coming to an end and all eyes now turn to how Amorim will replace the forward – an area that United have been needing reinforcement in.

Rashford replacement being lined up by Man United

Rasmus Hojlund has struggled to improve on his first season in English football scoring just two goals in the Premier League so far, whilst fellow striker Joshua Zirkzee has only scored three goals in his Premier League appearances.

Many expected Rashford to fill the striker void upon the arrival of new boss Ruben Amorim yet the Englishman himself has struggled for form this season with only four goals to his name – one of those coming in Amorim’s first game in charge against Ipswich.

However, Rashford did not start United’s huge game against Arsenal and then was left out of the matchday squad completely against local rivals Manchester City. This has led to question marks over his future under the new manager and it seems Man United are on the hunt for a replacement.

According to CaughtOffside, Man United are trying to beat Chelsea to the signing of striker Victor Osimhen, who is currently on loan at Galatasaray from Italian giants Napoli. It’s said that contact has been established to explore the initial conditions of a move.

Osimhen – who has reportedly emerged as the Red Devils’ top target – has sparked interest from a number of clubs, but it seems United are interested in bringing the Nigerian striker to Old Trafford in January, seemingly paving the way for the departure of Rashford.

It won’t be an easy deal for United to secure, however with a £74m release clause, but Osimhen is a player who would add a much-needed focal point to United’s attack and has been described recently by journalist Colin Millar on X as a ‘superstar.’

Your changes have been saved

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Osimhen would be an upgrade on current forward options

Osimhen has enjoyed a fine start to his career at Galatasaray, scoring seven and creating three goals in just nine appearances for the Turkish outfit so far this season.

However, it was during his time at Napoli that the attacker really made his name as one of Europe’s hottest strikers, amassing an incredible 76 goals in just 133 appearances for the club and firing the Naples side to the Serie A title in 2023.

Many envious eyes at Old Trafford have been on Erling Haaland in recent seasons however, Osimhen could be United’s own version of the Norwegian powerhouse. Osimhen’s goalscoring record speaks for itself, but his powerful frame and ability to hold the ball up makes for an intimidating figure for defenders to come up against – something all elite Premier League strikers possess.

So, should Man United manage to secure the services of Osimhen, it would present a huge upgrade on their current attacking options of Rashford, Hojlund and Zirkzee.

Not only does Osimhen score more goals than United’s current attacking options but he also creates more with an average of 1.37 goals and assists per 90 minutes. The Nigerian has more attempts than Rashford, Zirkzee and Hojlund with 6.06 shots per game and 2.34 of those being on target.

It isn’t just in front of goal where Osimhen would improve the Red Devils, with 14 fouls drawn, the Galatasaray man has proven to be a physical target that teams can build their attacks from, something United have desperately missed in recent seasons since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Whether a deal can be struck remains to be seen but with Rashford seemingly out in the cold and Zirkzee and Hojlund not firing on all cylinders, Osimhen seems a perfect solution for United to continue climbing the league table.

Related

Forget Amad: 8/10 Man United star was “monstrous” against Man City

Manchester United secured a famous late win at the Etihad on Sunday.