Ronaldo 2.0: Man Utd could land £102k-p/w ace who dubbed Rashford a "model"

Another game has come and gone and Ruben Amorim has still opted to leave Manchester United star, Marcus Rashford, languishing on the sidelines, with the England international having not featured in any of the last four matchday squads.

Whether that exile will be reversed amid United’s run of three successive defeats in all competitions remains to be seen, although it is clear that the 27-year-old faces an uncertain future at Old Trafford, following his shock admission that he is ready for a “new challenge“.

As reported by The Athletic, the winger’s hefty wage – claimed elsewhere to be as high as £300k-per-week – may make it difficult for a permanent exit to occur in January, although a temporary departure on loan could represent a solution for all parties.

Whether Rashford does ultimately move on in 2025 or not, the attacking unit is in desperate need of reinforcement regardless, with recent outings having further exposed the lack of quality in the forward line.

Man Utd’s attacking woes

The Red Devils have now failed to score in their last two league games following dismal defeats to both Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers, taking their total tally to just 21 goals in 18 top-flight fixtures in 2024/25. A -3 goal difference makes for grim reading.

That failure to fire was even evident in the 4-3 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup, with it taking a handful of Fraser Forster gifts for United to eventually get on the scoresheet. Speaking afterwards, Amorim lamented the fact that Spurs were more “clinical”. The same phrase was then uttered after losing to the Cherries.

At present, United’s top scorer is Alejandro Garnacho with eight goals across all fronts – ahead of Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund on seven apiece. To put that into context, league leaders Liverpool already have three players into double figures, in the form of Cody Gakpo (ten), Luis Diaz (11) and Mohamed Salah (19).

With summer signing Joshua Zirkzee scoring just four times – while Antony has netted just once this season – it is hard to see just where the goals will come from, particularly if Rashford does depart. Even man of the moment, Amad Diallo, has only scored five goals in total this season.

It is for that reason that new recruits must be a priority for INEOS in the near future, with United having assembled an attack that is simply nowhere near capable of challenging for major honours.

Man Utd could land the ‘next Ronaldo’

Those of a United persuasion no doubt yearn for the days of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez, with the trio notably spearheading the side that claimed Champions League glory in 2008. How the mighty have fallen.

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Talents of that ilk appear to be long again at Old Trafford, although if recent reports are to be believed, the ‘next Ronaldo’ could emerge as a possible target for 2025, in the form of AC Milan star, Rafael Leao.

As reported in Spain – via Milan Live – earlier this week, the Red Devils are among the clubs, alongside Arsenal, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, who are keen to snap up the Portuguese sensation in the near future.

The suggestion is that Leao – who arrived at San Siro from Lille back in 2019 – is seeking a fresh challenge after almost six years in Milan, with a raft of clubs rightly queueing up to land the at times “unstoppable” speedster, as hailed by teammate Tammy Abraham.

While there may be concern that the £102k-per-week hero previously described that man Rashford as a “model”, United should be far more interested in the forward’s stellar form in recent years, having terrorised defenders down the left flank.

With 64 goals and 55 assists to his name in 232 games in all competitions for his club side, Leao has been a shining light in his current home, with it no surprise that national team boss Roberto Martinez has dubbed him “one of the best players in the world one-on-one”.

That explosive, game-changing talent was even evident during his academy days at Sporting CP – where Ronaldo also began his career. Indeed, his former youth coach Tiago Fernandes even went as far as to say:

Following in the footsteps of a player who scored 145 goals in 346 games for United across two spells may prove too great a burden, yet with Leao possessing shades of his international colleague, there’s every reason he could shine in Manchester.

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