Rashford to Arsenal? Here are five better Premier League alternatives
Robin Bairner
- 29 Apr 2022 11:12 BST
- 4 min read
Arsenal’s hunt for more firepower could see them turn towards Manchester United attacker Marcus Rashford.
With Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette out of contract at the end of June, the Gunners face going into pre-season without a single recognised senior No.9 on their books.
They are presently being linked to an array of forwards, both in terms of wide attackers and more central players.
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Rashford is a player who falls into both brackets and Football Insider suggests he has been the subject of tentative enquiries from the Gunners.
Certainly, he is a player who Manchester United could well offload in the summer after a prolonged period of poor form, but given the price tag associated with the 24-year-old England international, he is a player Arsenal would be well advised to steer clear of.
Indeed, according to data analytics experts SciSports, Rashford’s performances this season have been distinct average. Indeed, Arsenal have players on their books who have outperformed him, including the Bukayo Saka, out-of-favour Nicolas Pepe and Gabriel Martinelli.
With this in mind, here are five other players the Gunners would be advised to look at ahead of Rashford.
Gabriel Jesus – Manchester City
With Erling Haaland destined to sign for Manchester City in the summer, Gabriel Jesus’ time at the club could be growing short. Indeed, he has already been linked with a possible move to Arsenal.
He has shown this season that he is a versatile attacking presence, while in recent weeks he has displayed a scoring touch that some thought he had forgotten. The young Brazilian is a good bet as a player who could help elevate the Gunners.
Michael Olise – Crystal Palace
Once on the books of Arsenal as a youngster, Olise finds himself in the Premier League after also passing through the academies of Chelsea and Manchester City, as well as Reading, where he made his professional breakthrough. It has been at Crystal Palace this season, though, that he has risen to prominence and earned his first France Under-21 caps.
He would doubtless be difficult to prise away from Palace, but his performances in his freshman year in the top flight suggest he could be a star for years to come. Agile and mobile, he looks a fine solution out wide.
Raphinha - Leeds
Quite what the future holds for Leeds star Raphinha is unclear, but after two years at Elland Road, it appears that the Brazil international winger has outgrown the Yorkshire outfit. Indeed, FootballTransfers reported in February that Barcelona hold an interest in the player.
Again, he is more of a wide option than a striker, but after two convincing years in the Premier League, if Arsenal were to secure a top-four finish, they would surely have to be among the favourites to sign him if they were to make a move.
Emmanuel Dennis – Watford
Nigeria international Emmanuel Dennis has had an outstanding debut season in the Premier League with a Watford side that is heading for relegation. Despite his team’s struggles, he has still managed to hit double figures for the campaign.
Like Rashford, he is a player capable of featuring across the attack, while he is the same age and would command a far smaller fee, despite being in better form.
Bryan Mbeumo - Brentford
Brentford striker Bryan Mbeumo was likened to PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe in the early days of his career with Troyes in France because of his cocktail of speed, skill and finishing. He has been with Brentford for three seasons now and has translated that capability to the Premier League.
He has four goals and seven assists in the Premier League this season but there is a sense that there is much more to come from this 24-year-old.
Read more about: Premier League, Arsenal, Brentford, C. Palace, Man City, Man Utd, Watford, Bryan Mbeumo, Emmanuel Dennis, Gabriel Jesus, Marcus Rashford, Michael Olise, Raphinha
