Why Arsenal should avoid Marcus Rashford transfer

Months away from the end of the season and the transfer rumors have already started swirling for Arsenal. With the club’s keenness to find a striker out in the open, every available forward, and even those unavailable, will be seen linked with north London.

More recent headlines have revolved around Marcus Rashford’s unhappiness at Manchester United and a potential move to top four rivals Arsenal, as per the Mirror.

Regardless of how much of the rumor is reporter-led clickbait, there are a few reasons Mikel Arteta may be interested. The forward still has plenty of his career ahead of him – he’s only 24 years of age – and boasts valuable Premier League and Champions League experience.

The 46-cap England international also possesses important tactical flexibility. He can play out wide while he’s also led the line up through the middle – although with vastly varying degrees of success – and having played in numerous styles under a host of different coaches he’s at least a jack of all trades, master of none, when it comes to different systems. There could be something to work with there.

The main reason why Arsenal should avoid Marcus Rashford transfer from Manchester United as forward becomes linked with summer move

There is reason to believe that Arteta could transform the Englishman into a valuable part of the squad. Yet, the most important reason for the club to look past Rashford has nothing to do with him at all. It has to do with the players who already don the red and white.

Gabriel Martinelli, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka have come on leaps and bounds this season. Adding a newfound clinical edge, the Hale End graduates and the boy from Brazil are contributing in a more regular fashion. Rashford would provide an older alternative to these forwards, but is not a direct upgrade on any of them, nor is he close to challenging for their shirts.

Arteta likes to play with inverted wingers so Saka keeps his place. While Rashford could play on the left, Martinelli and Smith Rowe have the area locked down. All three are wide players that can cut inside and get shots away, however, the Arsenal forwards are both more clinical, tactically aware, and younger than Rashford.

He would arrive as competition in wide areas, positions which currently stand little chance of being wrestled away from those already here. He isn’t a striker, regardless of how many times he’s been tried there, and his salary would completely disrupt the wage bill Arsenal have worked hard towards lowering.

All of this, of course, is based on what Rashford is and not what he could become. We have seen the dangers of this way of thinking in the past with players like Aaron Ramsdale. If Arteta can turn Rashford into one of the best forwards in the Premier League, you doubt fans would ever complain. How much work would it take? That’s the question.