According to latest reports in Spain, Atletico Madrid are looking to sign Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford. The Spanish side aren’t willing to pay Barcelona the quoted price for Antoine Griezmann, currently on loan and have identified the United youngster as a suitable replacement.

The England international has enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence under new boss Erik ten Hag, starting regularly ahead of club legend Cristiano Ronaldo. Rashford scored a crucial double against Arsenal but has missed the last two United games with a knock.

This injury has also caused the 24-year-old forward to miss out on a possible return to the England squad for the games against Italy and Germany. The Dutch manager will be hoping he returns for the Manchester Derby on October 2.

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes (via TEAMtalk), Atletico Madrid have shown interest in striking a deal for Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford. The Spanish giants are on the hunt for a new forward as they are not keen on paying the permanent £34 million fee for current loanee Antoine Griezmann. Rashford’s current contract with the Red Devils culminates in 2023. And Atletico could attempt to go after his signature then.

Rashford’s Decline At Manchester United

Rashford broke into the United first-team back in the 2016/17 season and has become a key member of the Red Devils’ side over the years. Fans had high hopes as the 24-year-old was going from strength to strength. However, the previous campaign was one of his worst in a red shirt.

The forward has also been out of favour at Old Trafford and has struggled to relish the joy of first-team football, unlike his teammates. Amongst the team’s most scathed players last season, Rashford found himself being held accountable for his substandard performances on numerous occasions.

He lacked the application, desire and consistency to nail down a spot in the starting XI, contributing only five goals and two assists in 32 appearances across all competitions (stats via Transfermarkt). The academy graduate failed to make a substantial impact.

Having witnessed a steep decline in his overall impact on the pitch, the English forward’s failure can be attributed to several factors, including a naïve understanding of his strengths, the repeated arrivals of out-and-out number nines, and the evident lack of self-accountability on part of the player.

Atletico Madrid 'interested' in deal for Marcus Rashford #mufc https://t.co/ykGomBzfUI pic.twitter.com/hj07GXyANr

— Man United News (@ManUtdMEN) September 20, 2022

Anthony Elanga was preferred over Rashford by interim boss Ralf Rangnick towards the end of last season. The Sweden international brought energy to the side, which the England international evidently lacked. However, the 24-year-old looks to have that spring back in his step, with his blistering pace once again causing defences problems.

While primarily understood to serve as a traditional winger, Rashford’s underlying numbers from notable seasons suggest that the forward performs best when deployed as a second striker, playing off the central striker. Hence, it is no surprise that the forward’s most notable contributions came at a time when the team’s forward line comprised of an intelligent hold-up striker in Anthony Martial, an explosive figure in Mason Greenwood, and Rashford himself.

The Englishman is known for his ability to make searing runs into the box whilst also serving as a potent threat on the counter-attack. However, following the arrivals of Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo, combined with the inconsistency of Martial, Rashford unsurprisingly found himself struggling to create for the team’s central strikers.

As a result, the English winger’s failure to impact games got reflected in his numbers, with the player having averaged just 1.93 shots, 1.27 dribbles, and 32.78 passes per 90 minutes in the recently concluded campaign. But whether or not Marcus Rashford would be prepared to swap his boyhood club for a move to Atletico Madrid remains to be seen.

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Rashford is clearly a Manchester boy at heart and just needed to find his form and confidence again, something that has so far happened under Ten Hag. However, with his role now expected to be reassessed under the Dutchman, the United forward will be keen on getting back to his best this season.

Moreover, with the Red Devils likely to add another dynamic forward amongst their ranks this January, the 24-year-old will be looking to redeem himself, having lacked the self-confidence and mindset to rectify his abysmal form last season.

United have not played since the 2-0 win over Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League on Thursday, September 15, after their Premier League fixture with Leeds United was postponed ahead of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Manager Erik ten Hag is set to use the extended break to plan for the upcoming January transfer window.

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