It’s been 18 months since Marcus Rashford last wore a Manchester United shirt, but the Englishman hasn’t featured for his parent club since plodding away at Viktoria Plzen at the end of 2024.
A swift departure to Aston Villa followed soon after, but the 28-year-old went on to flourish on loan at Barcelona, winning his first league title at Camp Nou.
The La Liga champions may be keen on renegotiating, but even after there was talk of a return to Old Trafford this summer, a permanent deal is likely to be finalized before too long.
Rashford’s former teammate Michael Carrick may be tempted to re-join the forward next season, but it is in the best interest of all parties that his departure is secured and United need to find a replacement for the left-winger.
Man United aim to sign Bundesliga sensation for £34m
Rashford will be remembered as part of Ruben Amorim’s so-called ‘bomb squad’ last summer, with the Portuguese manager joining a host of attackers including Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Anthony.
Former United players this season | ||
|---|---|---|
player | game | Goal (assist) |
rashford | 48 | 14(14) |
Sancho | 38 | 1(3) |
grenache | 42 | 8(4) |
anthony | 45 | 14(10) |
Hoylund | 43 | 15(8) |
It may have been a bittersweet ending for Amorim, but he was definitely an upgrade with the signings of Matheus Cunha, Brian Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, and he must be given credit for overseeing such a ruthless transfer deal.
With Carrick in charge, attacking reinforcements are likely to be on the agenda once again, with reports earlier this week suggesting INEOS are already considering signing AC Milan’s Rafael Leao.
Similarly, Sky Sports Germany reported that United are one of the clubs interested in Hoffenheim star Bazmana Toure and that the 20-year-old is destined for a move after the club failed to qualify for the Champions League.
The report suggests Aston Villa and Newcastle United are both showing more “concrete interest” after the Ivorian’s breakout year or so, while Liverpool are also on the list.
There is no release clause in the winger’s contract, but he could be acquired for a transfer fee of around 40 million euros (approximately 3.4 billion yen).
Why Toure could be like Manchester United’s prime Rashford
Rashford’s time at United may have been a story of inconsistency, but when in a confident mood he was deadly in the left channel, almost unstoppable at his best.
Having burst onto the scene as a teenager in 2016/17, ‘Lassie’ has developed into a powerful forward, scoring 17 goals in the Premier League in 2019/20, before equaling that record in 2022/23 with 30 goals in all competitions.
Combining frightening speed, power and a devastating end product, the academy graduate was a sight to behold in full flow and became a real weapon for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s counter-attacking side.
Toure is only 20 years old, but there’s a similar vibe to his game, with the left-footed player boasting a unique blend of frightening speed and top-notch dribbling prowess.
Indeed, in the opinion of journalist Bence Boksak, he is “one of the most exciting young wingers in Europe” and has been likened to a “young Sadio Mane”.
Hailed as an “explosive winger” by talent scout Jacek Krig, Toure mirrors Rashford’s threat as both a goalscorer and provider, something he has proven at both Hammarby and Hoffenheim.
In Sweden, for example, he scored nine goals in just 23 competitive games before leaving for the Bundesliga in February 2025, and since then he has scored 15 assists and five goals in 45 games in Germany.
In this season’s Bundesliga, he has been involved in goals 15 times, created 11 “big chances” and averaged 1.5 key passes per game.
For comparison, Rashford was ahead of Solskjaer’s peak season in 2019/20 with 24 goal involvements, but Rashford’s performance in the Premier League that season was otherwise similar, creating nine ‘big chances’ and averaging 1.1 key passes per game.
The two players are also quite similar in terms of their ability to move the ball, with Toure averaging 1.6 successful dribbles per game, just behind Rashford’s 1.9 in 2019/20.
Amad’s teammate at international level, Toure is a hugely exciting and dynamic young talent, currently playing with the fearless freshness that Rashford displayed with his youthful flourishes.
As with Rashford, it may not always be a smooth road ahead, but there is plenty of encouragement for INEOS and Carrick, and the prospect of a £34m deal is certainly too good to ignore for such a promising rising star.
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