Trips to Molineux have often marked notable moments for Manchester United star Marcus Rashford in recent times, with the Red Devils’ Boxing Day clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers having been no different.
Back in December 2022, during Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge, the Englishman was dropped to the bench after he had been late to a team meeting earlier in the week. The forward, then in a rich vein of form post the Qatar World Cup, duly responded by netting a brilliant solo effort after entering the fray at the interval.
That may have been a small infraction due to a missed alarm, yet things had cranked up a notch when the two sides met in the Midlands again earlier this year. Rashford opened the scoring in that dramatic 4-3 victory, having been reinstated to the side after initially being disciplined by Ten Hag for a mid-season trip to Belfast.
Amid a rocky relationship with the former Ajax boss, the 27-year-old was no doubt hoping to enjoy a fresh start following Ruben Amorim’s arrival. Just over a month into the Portuguese’s tenure, Rashford is already nowhere to be seen, with Thursday’s defeat to the Old Gold marking a fourth game in a row without the forward even making the matchday squad.
With Amorim hinting that the academy graduate still hasn’t done enough to win him over in his post-match interview – and with Rashford himself publicly admitting a desire for “a new challenge” – the curtain could soon be drawn on his lengthy United affiliation. A replacement, or even an upgrade, will soon be needed.
Man Utd's search to replace Rashford
The Athletic reported on Boxing Day that a permanent exit in January appears unlikely for the £300k-per-week problem due to his hefty wage, although a loan departure could represent a potential compromise, in the mould of Jadon Sancho’s switch to Borussia Dortmund earlier this year.
Should United’s number ten move on to pastures new, an already waning forward line will be left particularly depleted, hence the need to fill that ‘void’.
With that in mind, reports in Spain have suggested that Amorim is personally pushing for the club to land the star of their midweek defeat, Matheus Cunha, with the 39-year-old viewing the Brazilian as the ‘ideal option’ to bolster his attack.
The suggestion is that the Old Trafford side are ‘leading the race’ for Cunha’s signature at present, although they would likely have to cough up at least €70m (£58m) – as reported elsewhere – to secure a January deal.
How Cunha compares to Rashford
It is no real surprise that Cunha has caught the eye of Amorim and those at INEOS, with the former Atletico Madrid man showcasing everything that United – and Rashford – are lacking during Wolves’ 2-0 triumph.
As journalist Samuel Luckhurst stated during the game, the in-form marksman was simply “sensational” on the day, representing a player that the Red Devils “have to be looking to get” in 2025.
Indeed, not only did Cunha curl in the game’s opener directly from a corner – as well as tee up Hwang Hee-chan for the home side’s second – but his work both in and out of possession was truly remarkable, as indicated below.
Operating behind centre-forward Jorgen Strand Larsen, the 25-year-old was a real livewire, winning 14 duels, drawing five fouls and successfully completing four dribbles.
Described as “world-class” by journalist George Lakin – while also lauded as a “special player” by manager Vitor Pereira – the one-time Hertha Berlin man now boasts ten Premier League goals this season, having also created 11 ‘big chances’ and registered a further four assists, as per Sofascore.
Stat (*per 90)
Rashford
Cunha
Games (starts)
48 (38)
50 (46)
Goals
11
22
Assists
3
11
Goals + Assists
14
33
Progressive carries*
3.19
3.90
Progressive passes*
2.38
3.53
Shot-creating actions*
3.21
3.30
Successful take-on %*
38.5
46.6
Tackles*
0.72
1.23
Interceptions*
0.22
0.57
Aeria duels won*
37.7
27.4
Rashford, for instance, has scored just four league goals in 2024/25, while creating only four ‘big chances’ and providing just a solitary assist. Three of those strikes may have come under Amorim’s watch, although he still clearly isn’t doing enough to impress.
The difference in form and quality can also be seen in their work defensively, with Cunha averaging two tackles and interceptions per game in the top-flight this season. His United counterpart, meanwhile, averages just 0.8 in that regard.
Equally, it’s not as if this campaign is a flash in the pan for Wolves’ talisman, as he also chipped in with 12 goals and nine assists in 2023/24, while Rashford distinctly underwhelmed under Ten Hag, with just seven goals and two assists to his name.
Now outperforming United’s number ten across at least the last 18 months, the in-demand talent would represent the Premier League-proven upgrade that Amorim is craving.
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