Three Reasons why Barca should look to buy Rashford instead of Pogba

The winter transfer window is still a few months away, but that hasn't stopped the rumor mill to churn out stories. With the unrest between player and manager in Manchester United, speculation has been rife about Pogba moving to Barcelona. But here are 3 reasons why the Blaugrana should go for Pogba's team-mate Marcus Rashford instead:

1. No place for Pogba

Pogba is one of the world's best midfielders. He has been Manchester United's best player this season, and it was his performance that sealed the Red Devil's comeback win against Newcastle United. He also helped France lift the World Cup in Russia. He would be a welcome addition to any midfield in the world. So Barca should go for him, right?

Perhaps not.

The simple reason being that he might not have a place in this Barca side. The Blaugrana has already reinforced their squad this season with Arthur and Vidal. Plus they have Rafinha, Denis Suarez, and Carles Alena. All these players are not even in the starting line up.

While one could argue that he could be a replacement for Busquets, Pogba is a completely different type of player. While he is strong and can play defensive, he loves going forward and is at his best when he does that. In Man Utd and before that in Juventus, he always played with a second central midfielder alongside him. In Barca, he will have to play deep and that too alone, if he plans to replace Busquets. Surely he might not fancy that.

Therefore he simply does not have a place in Barca at the moment, at least with the system Ernesto Valverde is currently playing.

2. The money

Barcelona broke the bank to bring Coutinho and Dembele to Camp Nou

Manchester United bought Paul Pogba for over 100 million dollars. The board must have known then that Pogba would leave someday, but they wouldn't have thought expected it to be this soon. While many critics have pointed out that the Red Devils did overpay for the Frenchman, part of the reason why his asking price was so high was because of his marketability. Pogba is still marketable, and Man Utd will not sell him for cheap.

Barcelona may not have the money for the transfer or the wage structure to accommodate a player like Pogba. While they did break the bank to bring in Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho last season, that was partly funded by the sale of Neymar. Barca can only afford Pogba if they sell one of the two above mentioned players. But Barca doesn't have to do that, because they do not need a midfielder.

3. Rashford- Understudy/replacement for Suarez

Manchester United v Valencia - UEFA Champions League Group H

And finally, the reason why Marcus Rashford should come to Barcelona:

While Barcelona does not need a midfielder, they sure do need a striker. Luis Suarez is one of the best strikers in the world and is invaluable to the team. But he has experienced a dip in form in the last couple of seasons and the goals have not flowed out of the boots of the Uruguayan. Barca cannot expect Messi to bail them out every time they need a goal. The debate on who should replace Suarez has raged on since last season, and while no new player has arrived this summer, the place for Suarez's understudy/replacement is still up for grabs.

Paco Alcacer is scoring freely for Spain and Dortmund but is unlikely to return to Barca for bench duty

While the reborn Paco Alcacer is still in Barca's books, the probability that he returns next season seems slim. He was brought in as an understudy and eventual replacement for Suarez but he could not perform well enough for Barca to trust him as the main striker after Suarez leaves.

Enter Marcus Rashford. The Englishman is the perfect candidate for the understudy role. He has been playing second fiddle in both Man Utd and England. But unlike Alcacer, he has scored goals at a consistent rate. Rashford is still young, but he has shown remarkable composure to score some goals. Also, neither is he extravagant like his French compatriot nor does he complain about his lack of game time. Instead, he just goes about his business and not known for causing too much controversy.

Furthermore, he can play in the wing and has shown that he has the passing skills to find his team-mate. For example, his pass to assist Sterling for the first goal against Spain caught everyone's eye. He also found the net himself to keep his scoring form for his country alive.

Rashford could get the chance to learn the trade with Messi and Suarez if he joins Barca

While coming to Barca may not increase his game time, Rashford has other advantages. He could play with one of the world's best strikers and with the world's best player. At the age of 20, he has the golden chance to learn from the game's two great players.

Barcelona also plays an attacking football, which he will surely appreciate. Furthermore, he will play under a manager who will not constantly criticize him. Even though Valverde at present prefers Coutinho up front along with Suarez and Messi, the Brazilian could drop to the midfield and Rashford could play in the front three.

This will put the Englishman in direct competition with Dembele. The Frenchman has shown that he can score some stunning goals during his time at Camp Nou, but the advantage for Rashford is that he can play as a striker. This is one of the criteria that makes him an understudy and an eventual replacement to Luis Suarez.

Man Utd though will be reluctant to sell Rashford, knowing that he can be a world class player. Any sale will be north of $50 million. While it will still be steep for Barca, a replacement for Suarez is a priority and Rashford would command a lower wage package than Pogba.

If Barca does have some $100 million in their bank account, spending it on Rashford rather than on Pogba would be the wiser option.

Edited by Deepanshu Sharma