How Rashford transfer could FINALLY give Arsenal revenge on Man Utd

Suraj Radia

• Updated: 16 Feb 2023 22:39 GMT
• 2 min read

Arsenal have been among the best sides in the Premier League this season while Marcus Rashford has been the most in-form striker not called Erling Haaland…so reports linking the two together should perhaps not be surprising.

The Gunners are reportedly monitoring the contractual situation surrounding Rashford, with the Manchester United forward’s deal set to expire next summer once the club activate their 12-month option to extend.

United have no interest in selling their star man, particularly to a rival, and will look to tie Rashford down to a long-term contract following the 25-year-old’s prolific campaign so far.

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However, Arsenal’s interest represents an interesting shift in the club’s stature in the Premier League, particularly given their establishing as a true title contender this season.

Arsenal have historically been the team that have seen their best players taken from them by their divisional rivals and they have even seen influential figures force exits to join opponents.

A pursuit of Rashford, even if futile, shows that Arsenal are finally becoming the alphas after years of disrespect and they may eventually be able to turn the tables on their rivals by making the Emirates a desirable home for global superstars.

Time to heal the pain of days passed

Some supporters will still remember the pain of seeing stars such as Kolo Toure, Samir Nasri and Emmanuel Adebayor leave for Manchester City, a team who Arsenal were once vastly superior to, although the Gunners may feel some vindication having signed Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus from the champions last summer.

Chelsea have been able to further hurt the Gunners by achieving European success with former Arsenal icons such as Cesc Fabregas, Ashley Cole and Olivier Giroud, something they weren’t able to accomplish in North London.

However, arguably the biggest pain of all was caused by seeing club captain Robin van Persie leave Arsenal to join Manchester United In 2012, leading Sir Alex Ferguson’s side to a title in his final year and condemning the Gunners to more mediocrity in exchange.

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In a move somewhat mirroring Rashford’s situation, van Persie was entering the final year of his contract at Arsenal, however he had refused to extend and pushed to join United for a cut-price fee, claiming he listened to ‘little boy inside’ calling him to Old Trafford.

Although it has been more than a decade since Van Persie’s acrimonious move, the memories are still rooted in Arsenal folklore and they may have a chance to seek revenge by pursuing a move for Rashford and, perhaps, securing their place as the Premier League’s top dogs simultaneously.