Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford look set to be the two wingers that Manchester United will enter their new era with.
The Argentine enjoyed a fantastic 2023/24 campaign, developing into an irreplaceable ace, while the number ten struggled to live up to expectations.
Therefore, next season, both attackers will have a point to prove to not just themselves but also the fanbase and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a Man United target who outperformed the aforementioned duo last season.
Man Utd’s quest for attacking reinforcement
As per a report from Football Insider, Man United are very keen on bringing Eberechi Eze to Old Trafford.
The report says that the Crystal Palace star ‘ticks a lot of boxes for the new-look INEOS recruitment staff.’
However, Tottenham Hotspur are also extremely interested, and alongside the Red Devils, the two clubs are ‘ready to pay’ for Eze.
That said, the attacking midfielder has a release clause of £60m in his contract, which is a fee that the Eagles will demand this summer.
This is the same fee in Michael Olise’s contract, who has also been frequently linked with a move to Old Trafford this month.
How Eze compares to Rashford and Garnacho
There’s no two ways about it: last season, Eze was one of the most influential players in the entire Premier League.
Despite some of his campaign being hindered by injuries, he impressed every time he was on the field across his 24 league starts.
Whether the England international was operating as an attacking midfielder or even out wide on the left, his level of performance remained extremely high.
This is highlighted by his 11 goals and four assists, as well as the fact that he will feature for England at the European Championships this summer.
Goals
0.48
0.28
0.25
Assists
0.18
0.08
0.14
Shots
3.59
2.38
3.51
Key passes
2.37
0.91
1.61
Shot-creating actions
4.82
3.45
4.18
Successful take-ons
3.02
1.90
1.68
Tackles
1.53
0.75
0.77
As you can see, Eze’s output and overall performance were much better than those of Rashford and Garnacho last season.
First of all, Eze’s output is far superior, which is due to his ability to work his way into goal-scoring positions in central areas, whether that be in the box or on the edge of it.
Although his actual assist tally is rather low, Palace’s number ten is always the creative outlet in the side, using his excellent combination ability and vision to continuously create chances far more often than Rashford and Garnacho.
Yet, what makes Eze unstoppable at times is his ability to create a moment of magic out of nothing, mainly via his mesmerising dribbling and carrying of the ball.
As of right now, the two United wingers are much better when playing on the counterattack rather than against a settled defence, but Eze has the ability to unlock opponents in any game state.
On top of that, the England international works tirelessly off the ball to ensure his side aren’t vulnerable, often making tackles and regaining possession, much more than the United attacking duo.
Another aspect that makes Eze an ideal pick-up is that, according to FBref, he’s classified as a 'similar player' to Olise, which means that the Red Devils will be able to secure a fine alternative to the Frenchman this summer.
Indeed, it’s quite clear that Eze has all the attributes and character to thrive at Man United, and his £60m price tag is a rather fair representation of his quality.
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