Manchester United’s attack for next season already looks supercharged with the addition of Matheus Cunha and potential transfer of Bryan Mbeumo, while they have the perfect player to form a trio.
With Matheus Cunha’s transfer and Bryan Mbeumo interest, Man Utd will add almost 50 goals and assists from last season directly to their team.
It’s a strategy straight out of Sir Alex Ferguson’s playbook, but nobody can expect the duo to elevate Man Utd from 15th to 4th on their own.
Bruno Fernandes staying helps, but United need more. Turns out, they already have the perfect partner to play with Mbeumo and Cunha but there’s a catch.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo’s perfect partner is Marcus Rashford
Both Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo are versatile attackers who can play across the front line as well as up top, but in Ruben Amorim’s system, their role is largely clear.
Both are at their best closer to the goal, so the expectation is that they will line up as the two attacking midfielders behind the striker.
Plans for Cunha can change, especially if United don’t buy a striker, while Mbeumo is a wildcard call for the wing-back position as well, but ideally, they’ll line up behind the striker.
Unfortunately, that is the position most understocked at United, which is where Marcus Rashford steps in.
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Rashford played almost exclusively as a striker for Aston Villa during his loan spell, which was largely an improvement on his United form.
His ability to run the channels and stretch defences will theoretically leave plenty of space for Mbeumo and Cunha to work their magic.
More importantly, with both Cunha and Mbeumo extremely prolific, Rashford’s tendency to leave the centre and go out wide will benefit United instead of hurting them.
He can go out wide to help Patrick Dorgu in the buildup, while Cunha and Mbeumo cause overloads down the middle in a fluid attacking five including Amad on the other side.
Add Bruno Fernandes supplying balls from deep and that has all the makings of a devastating attack. Only if it was likely…
Rashford’s comeback would be Man Utd’s story of the summer
As good as the theoretical team looks with Rashford in it after Cunha and Mbeumo’s addition, the spectre of his relationship with Amorim looms large.
It would truly be the story of the summer if he somehow mends bridges at Old Trafford and starts the next season as a playing member of the squad.
Some remarks are simply too extreme to come back from, and Amorim’s brutal goalkeeping coach comparison looks right up there on that list.
At a time when Amorim is trying to reset the culture of the club, opening the door even for a reformed Rashford would be a risk because there’s a chance he might revert to type eventually.
Unfortunately, it looks like the boat has simply sailed too far on Rashford’s United career which is a shame because it finally seems like the attacking reinforcements would have seen him thrive at the club.