Marcus Rashford has announced his desire for a “new challenge” in January and Manchester United therefore have hope of a significant mid-season arrival when it looked as though a 17-year-old left-back no-one has heard of was set to be their Marquee Signing of Ruben Amorim’s first transfer window in charge.
Finding a buyer for Rashford and then talking to potential signings, along with their agents and clubs, before negotiating transfer fees for both the player sale and the new arrival all sounds like an overwhelming and formidable challenge for whichever poor director sap is lumbered with the responsibility in the absence of an actual Manchester United sporting director.
For ease of negotiation and because United reportedly don’t have the PSR wiggle room to spend more than whatever they make on Rashford, a straight swap makes sense.
An exchange for Frankie de Jong is being touted, because of course it is, but the Netherlands international is worth €60m (£50m) according to Transfermarkt, while Rashford’s value has slumped to €55m (£45m), so the midfielder’s not included here.
All of the players with the same value as Rashford have been, excluding those already at Manchester United, and we’ve ranked them according to how much we reckon Amorim would want them in January.
17) Ousmane Dembele (PSG)
We suspect Amorim, in his desire to sign “players like Roy Keane”, probably wouldn’t want the club to go after his polar opposite.
Incidentally, we would pay good money to be the ones to break the news to Keane that Manchester United have decided to replace one supposedly work-shy, mercurial winger who invariably fails to make the most of his enviable ability with another. And from PSG of all clubs.
16) Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)
We’re not convinced Amorim would see replacing one left-winger bereft of confidence with another in a remarkably similar state of mind as a worthwhile move.
15) Savinho (Manchester City)
Hard to know what to make of Savinho in his first season in the Premier League. Not a great time for him to arrive at Manchester City and unreasonable to expect a 20-year-old to pull the club up by the bootstraps when other far more senior players with a similar number of winners’ medals as he’s had birthdays have failed to do so. Still, doesn’t feel like he would be a punt worth taking for Amorim.
14) Micky van der Ven (Tottenham)
It now feels as though Van de Ven would be wasted anywhere other than Tottenham, where Ange Postecoglou’s ludicrously high line can really put those hamstrings to the test and tear them on a regular basis. It might actually be a more comfortable existence for him at Manchester United, which is an extraordinary thing to say.
But Amorim probably feels as though he’s reasonably well stocked at centre-back right now and even if he weren’t, there’s a mania to Van de Ven which – while ideal for Spurs – doesn’t scream Manchester United, or at least what Amorim wants Manchester United to be.
13) Amadou Onana (Aston Villa)
Midfield recruits are undoubtedly required as Christian Eriksen is on his way out, presumably to be followed shortly afterwards by Casemiro. Onana would be more like a luxury signing than a requirement though, not because he’s especially brilliant but because he’s not different enough from Kobbie Mainoo or Manuel Ugarte. United are missing a more progressive creator for one of those two deep-lying roles.
12) Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace)
A lovely footballer but quite similar to Kobbie Mainoo in a lot of ways and would only be a marginal improvement on his compatriot, if at all.
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11) Levi Colwill (Chelsea)
Feels more like a Manchester United centre-back than Van de Ven.
10) Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
Probably should have signed him instead of Rasmus Hojlund in the summer of 2023 but they didn’t and it would be odd to sign him now before giving Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee the rest of the season at least to show if they’re up to the task.
9) Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool)
Offer Amorim a Manuel Ugarte-Gravenberch swap and he would bite your hand off, but Ugarte is also the reason he probably wouldn’t consider the Liverpool midfielder in a swap deal for Rashford: they’ve only just signed him as their defensive midfield saviour and for big money.
8) Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea)
Any manager in world football claiming they wouldn’t want Jackson is a goddamn liar. No Premier League player has scored more non-penalty goals (23) than the Senegal international since the start of last season. But we suspect United would need a helluva lot more than £45m and a No.9 isn’t a priority.
7) Ben White (Arsenal)
Oh hello there, former centre-back who now plays at right-back but is probably best suited to playing on the right of a back three, may we interest you in a 3-4-3?
6) Pedro Neto (Chelsea)
Good thing he’s got Amad Diallo because otherwise Amorim would have an £82m Brazilian the club’s been trying to sell pretty much since he arrived and two guys who can’t be arsed to train as his three options on the wing.
Doesn’t really want Proper Wingers though and Neto is one of those in that he loves getting down the outside of full-backs and swinging crosses in. That said, we could also see him having a right old time in those inverted positions under Amorim, who surely wouldn’t say no.
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5) Jules Kounde (Barcelona)
We won’t pretend to know exactly why multiple Premier League sides have been obsessed with the idea of signing Jules Kounde for the last three years and we’re definitely in danger of overvaluing his output because of such hype and interest when in truth we’ve probably not seen enough of him to make a well-founded judgement.
But – and this is a big ol’ but – we’re struggling to come up with a quality defender (because he is that) better suited to playing as a right centre-back. He’s the perfect hybrid centre-back-right-back. And Barcelona do seem the likeliest option for Rashford.
4) Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
It would probably be our favourite transfer of all time and Amorim would be mad not to sign off on it if Big Jason Wilcox came to his door with the proposal, with Not Fitting The System not a good enough excuse not to sign the actual Mohamed Salah.
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3) Vitinha (PSG)
A beautiful footballer to watch and quite possibly exactly what Manchester United need: very comfortable on the ball whether taking possession in his own box or probing for openings in the final third, reads the game really well and has an eye for a goal. Vitinha dictating the pace of the game while Mainoo muscles his way forward and links with the forwards sounds like a very tidy combination.
2) Nuno Mendes (PSG)
Amorim will definitely want a left-back and Mendes is one of two “expensive” options in mind, along with Theo Hernandez, if top target Alphonso Davies either extends his deal with Bayern or Real Madrid solidify their interest in the Canadian.
1) Ademola Lookman (Atalanta)
Probably the most significantly undervalued player on this list. There’s a strong case to be made that Lookman is the best forward in Europe right now and that’s going to cost whichever club is looking to take him off Atalanta’s hands a helluva lot more than £45m.
It’s a shame Manchester United almost certainly have neither the money nor the clout to sign the Nigeria international because he would be perfect for Amorim. Lookman knows the system having thrived in that left second striker role under Gian Piero Gasperini, he knows how to play with and get the best out of Rasmus Hojlund having played behind him in the season that led United to spend over-the-odds to sign the Denmark international, and – although his time didn’t portray him in the best light – he knows the Premier League.