Man Utd Look to Serie A in Search of Marcus Rashford Replacement—Report

The Red Devils have drawn up a long list of potential targets.

Marcus Rashford’s time at Man Utd appears to be over. | Pablo Rodriguez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Manchester United are reported to have shown an interest in Como winger Jesús Rodríguez as they prepare to permanently offload Marcus Rashford this summer.

Barcelona are, despite reports of uncertainty, planning to keep hold of the on-loan forward this summer, while Rashford is believed to be equally as keen to seal a permanent switch to Camp Nou at the end of the season.

The money raised through his sale, around $34.6 million (€30 million, £26 million), is expected to be re-invested on a new winger and SPORT name Como’s Rodríguez as a new target for United.

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Why Man Utd Would Want Rodríguez

Jesús Rodríguez is enjoying an impressive season. | Image Photo Agency/Getty Images

Rodríguez only announced himself in the world of senior soccer last season, offering three goals and two assists for La Liga outfit Real Betis.

His potential was clear, although a few eyebrows were raised at Como’s decision to break their transfer record and sign Rodríguez for around $31 million last summer. The ambitious Italian side were quickly proven right with their backing of the youngster.

Having only turned 20 in November, Rodríguez is enjoying a real statement season which, at the time of the links to United, has yielded eight assists and three goals in 28 games for Cesc Fàbregas’s side.

Rodríguez is blessed with the modern combination of height and agility. Standing at 6'0, his acceleration and top speed can appear frightening at times and there have already been plenty of examples of him simply overwhelming his opponents physically.

The on-ball skills are also there, although Rodríguez prefers to let his legs do the talking and will happily get into a running race with any defender, safe in the knowledge that he probably will not be beaten.

Rodríguez has faced criticism over a lack of output in the final third during the earlier stages of his career, but Como and Fàbregas appear to have helped the youngster refine his game. Only Inter’s Federico Dimarco has created more Serie A goals this season.

Adding more goals is an obvious next step but, at just 20 years old, Rodríguez clearly has time on his side.

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Alternative Targets for Man Utd

Yan Diomande is wanted by Europe’s elite. | Ronny HARTMANN/AFP/Getty Images

Rodríguez is not the first player to be linked with United and he will undoubtedly not be the last.

Indeed, this report also reiterates interest in common targets such as RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande and Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye, also naming Strasbourg’s Martial Godo and Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola among those under consideration.

Marcus Tavernier of Bournemouth was recently touted as target for the Red Devils, who also hold an interest in Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White in their search for attacking reinforcements.

Much will come down to finances. United are known to be prioritizing the heart of midfield ahead of Casemiro’s impending departure and the vast majority of their budget is expected to be used on somebody like Forest’s Elliot Anderson, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton or Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba.

The money raised through Rashford’s sale would be comparatively small—marginally higher than the fee Como paid to sign an unproven Rodríguez last summer—and so other exits may be needed to fund a big-name replacement.

Diomande, known to be on the radars of Liverpool and Bayern Munich already, is expected to cost far closer to $116 million and a larger fee may be needed to convince PSG to part ways with Barcola.

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