Speculation is growing over a shock transfer involving Liverpool and Marcus Rashford.placeholder image
Speculation is growing over a shock transfer involving Liverpool and Marcus Rashford. | Getty Images
Liverpool have emerged as surprise contenders to sign Marcus Rashford
Manchester United and Liverpool is one of the biggest rivalries in English football. Statistically speaking they are the two most successful teams in terms of silverware, while they are also known for having two of the largest fanbases on the planet due to their incredible worldwide appeal.
The two have regularly competed against each other for silverware throughout the history of English football and have always looked to get one over the other when it comes to recruiting the best players, with Liverpool at this time being significantly more successful than United in terms of incomings in recent months.
They almost never do business with one of another, with the last transaction between the two clubs incredibly taking place in 1961 when Phil Chisnall swapped life in Manchester for a then big-money fee of around £25,000. However, intriguing reports from Mail Sport claim that the 61-year record could potentially be broken this summer with Liverpool showing interest in boyhood United fan Marcus Rashford.
Why are Liverpool interested in Marcus Rashford?
Liverpool are hoping to bolster their attacking options this summer as they aim to defend their Premier League crown and boost their chances of success in the Champions League. The Reds managed to retain the services of Mohamed Salah with a new two-year-contract extension but are keen to bolster their options around him.
Liverpool have drawn up a shortlist of striker targets and as it stands the top name on that list is Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, who with 23 goals, was the second highest scorer in the Premier League behind Salah. The champions are reportedly willing to pay around £120m to land Isak, in a move which could see them smash the Premier League transfer record twice in the same summer. However, Newcastle consider the Swedish striker ‘untouchable’ and are thought to value him at least £150m.
Meanwhile, Liverpool and Newcastle are thought to both be battling it out to land Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike after the Frenchman’s excellent breakout year in the Bundesliga. Other options include Ollie Watkins, Brentford's Yoane Wissa and Napoli's Victor Osimhen along with Rashford.
Rashford, unlike the others, is primarily a left-winger but has proven throughout his career that he can do a great job as a centre forward and most importantly score goals. Statistically speaking, he’s the 13th highest scorer of all-time with 138 goals in 426 appearances, putting him eight in the club’s list of Premier League scorers and right at the top of the finishers in the post Alex Ferguson era.
Rashford is a boyhood United supporter that has won two FA Cups, two League Cups, the Europa League and one Community Shield. He won the club’s Player of the Season as recently as 2022/23 but is now seen as surplus to requirements after a public fall out with Ruben Amorim. The England international has experienced a dip in form as well as a slight renaissance during a six month loan spell at Aston Villa and is now believed to be available for around £40m.
Rashford’s versatility to play on the wing and as a forward as well as his pace could make him a useful addition, particularly if Luis Diaz was to depart following Bayern Munich’s rejected £58m bid.
The stunning Man Utd and Liverpool swap deal that could take place
Marcus Rashford has little to no chance of playing for the Red Devils again while Ruben Amorim is manager and due to their current PSR situation they simply need to sell players so that they can start reshaping the team in the Portuguese coach's image.
United finished last term in 15th position and only found the net on 44 occasions, which is their worst in a league season since relegation in 1974.
The Red Devils could use Rashford’s exit to their advantage and potentially get their hands on an out-of-favour Liverpool striker in the form of Darwin Nunez.
Ex-United striker Dwight Yorke was one to suggest the idea of moving for the former Benfica man and said that Nunez could easily start over Rasmus Hojlund: "If I could, I’d swap Rasmus Hojlund for Darwin Nunez because he has more in his locker. He has pace, he has power, he can head the ball, he has the presence - he just needs to improve his finishing and he’d be the best striker in the league. We need to wait and see if he can do that, but as a manager I’d choose Nunez over Hojlund any day of the week."
Nunez cost Liverpool a reported £85m but is thought to be available this summer after falling down the pecking order under Arne Slot. Overall, he’s scored 40 times in 143 appearances in a mixed three years with Liverpool, with his best showing coming in Jurgen Klopp’s final term when he scored 18 in 54 matches.
The former Benfica man scored 26 goals in 28 matches as well during his final year in Portugal and is a player that Amorim will undoubtedly be familiar with having managed Benfica’s city rivals Sporting for a lengthy period.
It’s clear Rashford and Nunez are both players that need to change scenery but whether either club would be willing to break their long 61-year standoff of doing business with eachother.
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