Mikel Arteta simply must not sign £50m Premier League star for Arsenal, it will be a massive mistake

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Arsenal need to strengthen their attacking cohort this January, but they must be cautious in the process.

Bukayo Saka is out for several months after sustaining a serious hamstring injury in mid-December, and the Gunners subsequently look toothless without him.

Mikel Arteta’s team failed to score against Newcastle at the Emirates on Tuesday night, and have managed just one strike in games against Ipswich and Brighton in recent weeks.

This has prompted suggestions that Arsenal should sign Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, but the Magpies’ excessive asking price means the deal is unlikely to materialise.

Thus, Arteta must find an alternative before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month, and one name has begun to surface as a genuine option.

Arsenal shouldn’t sign Marcus Rashford this month

Injuries to Saka and Ethan Nwaneri have left Arsenal short in forward areas, while inconsistent form from the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard means that Arteta has few attacking players at his disposal that he can rely upon.

The need for an addition is glaring, although that shouldn’t mean that the North London club’s hierarchy rush to sign anyone.

Arsenal have made contact with Marcus Rashford over the prospect of the Englishman making the switch from Old Trafford to the Emirates.

Rashford has been ostracised by Ruben Amorim in recent weeks, and it’s well documented that the player is looking to leave the north-west in January.

According to CaughtOffisde, United would only sanction the 27-year-old’s departure if a potential suitor were to stump up £50 million.

Given he’s earning a purported £375,000 per week (Capology) in Manchester, the cost of Arsenal enacting such a deal is extortionate.

For this reason alone, Arteta should refrain from signing the divisive figure in the coming weeks.

If Rashford is unwilling to accept a reduced wage, the outlay on a player who may not still have his best level within him could prove to be detrimental for the Gunners, and the risk simply wouldn’t be worth the reward.

Arsenal cannot afford to repeat the mistakes they’ve made with Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the past, where they’ve been overpaying a player past their prime years.

• READ MORE: Mikel Arteta says Ruben Amorim already has two advantages at Man Utd that he never did at Arsenal

Rashford wouldn’t make Arsenal better

Even if Rashford was satisfied with reduced terms, and United settled for a fee lower than their reported £50 million asking price, he’s not demonstrated that he’s good enough to play at the highest level over the past 18 months.

After a blistering 2022/23 season, Rashford has scored just nine non-penalty Premier League goals in 48 appearances.

While he’s certainly been operating in a dysfunctional United side, his dire underlying metrics point to a player that may have lost his mojo entirely.

The Arsenal faithful are desperate to see a new forward walk through the doors at London Colney this month, but Rashford shouldn’t be the man – it’s not clear that he’s an upgrade on Martinelli.

Matheus Cunha has been linked with Arsenal, and Arteta ought to be considering the Brazilian over Rashford.