Manchester United should shelve any plans to sign a new striker and make Marcus Rashford their long-term number one frontman, according to Danny Murphy.
The former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder has waxed lyrical over the England youngster, insisting he can reach the levels of Sergio Aguero, Harry Kane and Mohamed Salah and that United should build their team around him.
There was another win for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and another goal from Rashford this weekend as a 1-0 victory over Leicester City saw United climb to fifth in the table.
Rashford has scored six goals in ten games since Solskjaer took charge from Jose Mourinho and moved him back to his preferred central forward position.
Murphy believes the 21-year-old has made that role his own and will be central to United’s future plans, and has also cast doubt over Romelu Lukaku’s future at Old Trafford.
Speaking to talkSPORT host Jim White on Monday, Murphy said: “I don’t think Man United need to worry about that area of the pitch anymore when they look at recruitment.
“Rashford is the answer, they do not need to look on the market now for a striker.
“If you look at the top three strikers in the country at the moment, Salah, Kane and Aguero, they regularly score goals it doesn’t matter of their playing well or playing badly, you can rely on them to score goals.
“Rashford hasn’t had the same longevity in that position, but he has absolutely everything he needs to be at that level.
“I think United can hang their hat on him. I think they can say, ‘there’s our number nine, and he’s going to be the one to get us 25 goals a season’.
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“He’s still only 21, lets not forget about that. He can become the main striker who United can build their team around.
“He’s the second quickest player ever to get to 100 Premier League games at Manchester United, after Ryan Giggs.
“Think of the players they’ve had come through there!
“His mentality says to me without question that he is ready to spearhead that United attack and be the number one.
“Ok, his goals-to-games record is one in three at the moment, but he has played the majority of his games out wide. He hasn’t played the majority up front so you can’t really compare his goal record to the others. If he plays up front every week in a United side that play with the same attacking freedom, I think he can be their number one.”
But what of £75million man Lukaku?
The Belgian has come under fire for his poor form his season – scoring eight Premier League goals – and has been relegated to the bench under Solskjaer, making just one league start since the United legend’s appointment.
And Murphy believes the frontman could look to leave Old Trafford if his bit-part role continues.
“I don’t think Lukaku will want to be a number two, he’ll want to be the main man somewhere,” added the ex-Liverpool and Tottenham star.
“I think Rashford has become the main striker who plays in all the big games for Man United.
“And I don’t think Lukaku is going to sit around as Rashford’s understudy, I think he could go in the summer.”