Whereas the final decade or so has not been spectacular on or off the pitch, Manchester United stay one of many largest golf equipment in world soccer and arguably the most important in England.
As a result of their lengthy and storied previous, the Pink Devils have an extended listing of legends that may make virtually any membership on the earth resentful.
You possibly can return to the Nineteen Fifties and 60s for Sir Bobby Charlton and George Finest, the Nineties for Éric Cantona and Bryan Robson, or the 2000s into the early 2010s for Premier League icons like Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.
Nevertheless, as issues stand, it will be laborious to level at any participant within the present group and name them a legend, though there may be one who’s seen his worth soar since breaking onto the scene who might presumably change that. Nonetheless, alongside along with his attacking teammates, his probability to take action is hanging by a thread.
United’s younger stars
So, for all of the doom and gloom that has surrounded United within the final couple of years – a few of it completely justified – the membership have nonetheless gained a League Cup and an FA Cup, and maybe most significantly for the followers, performed an important function in stopping Liverpool’s title cost final yr.
On high of those small victories, the membership has been bringing via and signing a plethora of younger, thrilling expertise who might doubtlessly go on to do one thing particular at Outdated Trafford.
For instance, the membership splashed £72m on Rasmus Hojlund final summer time, and whereas there may be an argument to be made that they overpaid for a then-20-year-old, he has since gone on to indicate glimpses of real expertise and ended final season with a tally of 16 objectives and two assists in 43 video games.
Likewise, whereas it’s far too early to solid ironclad assertions about Leny Yoro, he is an exceptionally highly-rated younger defender by these within the know, with analyst Ben Mattinson describing him as possessing “elite potential” and “that very same dominance younger Saliba” which is excessive reward certainly.
Lastly, the teenager who at the moment seems to be greatest positioned to develop right into a United icon is certainly one of their very own, Kobbie Mainoo, who, regardless of being simply 19 years previous, appears completely snug beginning in midfield and has already established himself within the nationwide group squad as nicely.
Nevertheless, whereas all of those children have a real probability of writing their names into United folklore sooner or later, there may be one other older participant who nonetheless has the chance to do the identical, and as an academy graduate, his valuation has shot up through the years.
Marcus Rashford’s valuation in 2024
Sure, the participant in query is Marcus Rashford.
Now, earlier than the pitchforks come out, sure, he was poor final season, however even then, a return of eight objectives and 6 assists in 43 matches for a winger is not completely disastrous.
Rashford’s final two full seasons | ||
|---|---|---|
Season | 22/23 | 23/24 |
Appearances | 56 | 43 |
Objectives | 30 | 8 |
Assists | 11 | 6 |
Objective Involvements per Match | 0.73 | 0.32 |
Furthermore, simply the marketing campaign prior, he was merely electrical, discovering the again of the online 30 occasions and offering 11 assists in 51 video games, that means that he maintained a frankly ludicrous common of a objective involvement each 1.36 video games in Erik ten Hag’s first season on the membership.
It is this capability to have campaigns like that and the actual fact he is already gained 60 senior England caps that leads individuals like expertise scout Jacek Kulig to label him a “future legend,” even when that appears slightly farfetched for the time being.
Moreover, the truth that he is an area lad who’s come via the academy and subsequently value the membership nothing in switch charges helps, and based mostly on his current valuation, he’s nonetheless very extremely rated, with Soccer Switch pricing him at round €67m, which converts to about £56m.
In the end, whereas there could be a good portion of the fanbase who’ve given up on Rashford after final season, they should not, as given his expertise and physique of labor, there may be each probability he might flip issues round and fulfil his potential on the Theatre of Desires.
