He is though, their team is built around putting him in the goal scoring opportunities, not Benteke Batshuai or Eduoard. He's a winger in the same sense Rashford is and we expect Rashford to chip in with 20+ goals a season. I don't think his numbers are that good, Cornet got 9 in 26 for example, for Burnley.
There's no doubt he has a very unique skill set of tricker, pace, power and league experience - it's just not really translated in to anything people would break the bank for. He's on 130k a week at Palace, he'll want an increase as it's his last big contract and a signing on for being a free agent. For a squad player, I think that's got be a hard pass for a lot of teams. I don't see any team that particularly needs him enough to pay him that.
We agree on a lot, actually. Bar some details and the of course the final opinion on signing him or not.
- Yes he is a lot like Rashford in many respects.
- No, the team isn't specifically setup for him to score. Benteke and Ayew have been as much if not more the focal point of their attacks in the past. United is not set up for Rashford to score any more than Martial. It's the same.
- I don't know about the 20+ in a season expectation, Rashford's only ever achieved that twice in 7 years and that's with longer seasons due to European fixtures. His numbers are not too dissimilar from Rashford's in the league these last 3 years anyway. The expectation is more like 15+ for me and he would achieve those numbers here I believe.
Finally yes, his unique skillset has not translated into anything that people would break the bank for. Which is precisely why no one is proposing to break the bank for him at all. You throw him a 2+1 years £150k contract and if he wants to come try some European football and a top 4 race, he can come. If he's more comfy sitting at Palace and being the star man, so be it.
Anyway, I think we've kinda exhausted his topic. I see all your viewpoints and I think you see mine, we just have different opinion on whether he'd be a good squad player.
He doesn't have the maturity to be a squad player.
He's not 20 any more. I can see why that would be a worry, he's a very temperamental and impulsive man, but I think he's mature enough to at least know if it's for him or not. If he's not cool with being a squad player, he will reject the offer out of hand. I don't think he'd accept it and then come and sulk about it.