Man Utd consider '£22m move' for potential Marcus Rashford successor as Liverpool 'plot' rival January bid
Manchester United are making contingency plans for the potential departure of Marcus Rashford
Manchester United have reportedly expressed a strong interest in French prodigy Rayan Cherki as they lay out plans to replace wantaway winger Marcus Rashford. Rashford, 27, has not featured for the Red Devils since a 2-1 Europa League victory over Viktoria Plzen on 12 December and has made it clear that he is ready to cut ties with United after a 20-year association with the club.
He told Henry Winter last month: "For me, personally, I think I'm ready for a new challenge and the next steps. When I leave it's going to be 'no hard feelings'. You're not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That's me as a person.”
Rashford has been the subject of rampant speculation linking him with a cut-price move to the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Marseille, AS Monaco and most notably Spanish heavyweights Barcelona.
The 60-time England international has claimed that despite speculation he remains open to playing for United, but Ruben Amorim has refused to pick the Carrington academy graduate due to his work ethic in training. Earlier this month, he told reporters: "You can see on the bench we miss a bit of pace on the bench, but I would put [Manchester United goalkeeper coach Jorge] Vital before a player who doesn't give the maximum every day."
The Red Devils’ need for recruitment has only been amplified by the departure of Antony to Real Betis - and with Alejandro Garnacho being coveted by Chelsea and Napoli it is looking increasingly likely that the team will need to sign a creative winger to avoid leaving all the responsibility to in-form winger Amad Diallo.
Man Utd enter the race to sign Rayan Cherki
United and Liverpool are expected to battle it out to secure the January signing of French wonderkid Rayan Cherki’s as they look to capitalise on the 21-year-old’s uncertain future at Lyon. The French side have recently reported financial debt of up to €505.1 million and have provisionally been relegated to Ligue 2 if they are unable to raise sufficient funds this month.
Caught Offside reports France Under-21 ace Cherki could leave the Parc Olympique Lyonnais for as little as £22m this month with a host of Premier League clubs showing interest.
Liverpool currently have the likes of Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa competing for a starting spot, but could be in the market for reinforcements if Salah departs on a free transfer in the summer. However, a potential snag for both clubs is the timing of the move with the Premier League rivals in a race against the clock to make a deal happen with deadline day on Monday.
What would Rayan Cherki bring to Man Utd?
Rayan Cherki is a 21-year-old French footballer, who has already made 165 appearances at senior level for Lyon. In that time, the youngster has scored 22 times and registered 33 assists whilst proving himself as one of the most exciting talents in Ligue 1.
Cherki, who has found the net 12 times in 22 appearances for France at Under-21 level, is primarily a right-sided winger but has proven on various occasions throughout his career that he is more than capable of seamlessly slotting into the left-wing or number 10 position.
He is renowned for his incredible technical ability, agility, speed, his exceptional ball control in tight areas, and the consistent ability to unlock defences and create chances for his team-mates - something which United at this stage lack in abundance with only Amad Diallo (6) and Bruno Fernandes (6) registering more than a single assist for United this season.