Man Utd could banish Rashford by signing “the best player in the world”

After such a promising campaign last year, Manchester United have slumped back to their recent inconsistent selves, although a 2-2 draw with Spurs will no doubt help matters.

Erik ten Hag’s side are currently seventh in the Premier League after 21 games, with their clash on Sunday helping them leapfrog Brighton.

With the side struggling, the boss will look to bolster his squad, with a particular focus on the attack.

Man Utd want to sign La Liga star

According to reports in Spain last week, Man United are interested in a shock move for Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid.

It is rumoured that the Brazilian could be on his way out of the Spanish giant as they eye up a move for Kylian Mbappe.

This has put top European clubs on alert, however, any move will occur in the summer rather than this month. It’s thought PSG and Manchester City are the two other clubs who could battle it out for the silky winger’s signature.

How Vinicius compares to Marcus Rashford

Last season, Marcus Rashford was arguably one of the best players in the Premier League, let alone United, but this campaign, he has struggled to mirror his 17-goal top-flight form.

After 20 games, the number ten has scored just four goals – the latest of which came against Tottenham – while registering two assists, but the biggest issue is his clear lack of belief and confidence.

There’s no debating that Rashford is at his best on the left wing with an overlapping full-back, but potential signing Vinicius Jr, who according to his boss Carlo Ancelloti is “the best player in the world“, would take that spot off the United academy star.

The Real Madrid forward has proved to be a world-class star on the biggest stage over the last couple of years, and the fact that he has scored 50 goals and provided 45 assists in his last 118 games supports that.

At just 23 years old, the Brazilian has already won nine trophies, including the Champions League, where he scored the winning goal in the final, and two La Liga’s.

The table below shows Vinicus’ stats from the last year across the top European leagues, and how they compare to his positional peers.

As you can see by his stats, Vinicius is the combination of a traditional winger and a modern-day winger due to the fact that he can entertain and be productive.

The youngster has the ability to operate as a touchline winger, where he uses his mesmerising dribbling to isolate defenders in 1v1 scenarios and drive into the box, where there will only be one winner due to his explosive nature and pure speed. Indeed, he ranks within the top 1% of wingers in Europe for successful dribbles.

The Brazilian causes chaos in every game he plays, but he also has the output to back up his extreme technical ability and flair. He is a clinical finisher in front of goal who shows up on big occasions while also having elite decision-making to supply others. You only need to consider his 23 goal and 21 assist campaign in 2022/23 to realise that.

The Real Madrid star simply thrives in any game state, regardless of whether facing a low block or on the counterattack, which gives him an edge over Rashford, who is at his best mainly during the latter.

Overall, Vinicius can do anything with the ball at his feet, and as you can see by his fouls drawn, there’s only one way to stop him. Ten Hag needs individuals who will take on responsibility and consistently perform, and the Brazilian will guarantee that as a minimum. For Rashford, however, it would only be bad news. This could well mean the end for his stay as a regular in the XI.