"You have to punish" - Tony Cascarino says Manchester United attacker is not clinical enough to lead the line for Arsenal

Former Chelsea attacker Tony Cascarino believes Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is not 'clinical enough' to lead the line for Arsenal.

As per The Mirror, the Gunners are interested in a summer switch for the Manchester United number ten despite the 24-year-old struggling for form this campaign. Rashford has endured a difficult season for the Red Devils and his future seems to be up in the air.

The Manchester United star has emerged as a target for the Gunners, with Mikel Arteta's side clearly needing reinforcements up front. However, Cascarino believes that the 24-year-old is unlikely to be the answer to Arsenal's problems. The 59-year-old has claimed that the Manchester United star lacks the clinical finishing ability that the north London club are seeking.

Cascarino told talkSPORT:

"To be a natural striker, and this is something I learned along the way and I got better at as I got older, so Marcus could become better because there’s no reason why someone can’t improve, you have to be very, very clinical. You have to punish because if you’re going to a club like Arsenal, they’re looking to progress and be a Champions League team, so you have to be clinical in front of goal."

The former Republic of Ireland international also insisted that Alexandre Lacazette is a 'decent player' but not a clinical finisher. Cascarino believes Mikel Arteta's side needs someone who can punish teams and Rashford is not 'ready to do that'. He added:

"I joked and sometimes called [Alex] Lacazette ‘Lack a finish’, which is a bit harsh because I think he’s a decent player. But he’s not being clinical enough for Arsenal. They’ve needed that, for him to be punishing teams and I don’t think Marcus is ready to do that at Arsenal."

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Should Arsenal make a move for the Manchester United forward?

Arsenal are clearly in need of a quality number nine and bringing in one will certainly be Mikel Arteta's top priority for the summer.

Alexandre Lacezette and Eddie Nketiah are both set to leave the Emirates on free transfers. As a result, Gunners fans can expect to see a few big arrivals up front in the summer.

The Gunners have been linked with several top-class strikers across the continent and it would be wise for them not to make a move for Rashford.

The Manchester United forward has managed to find the back of the net just five times in 26 games this season. This indicates that he is far from a lethal goalscorer. On top of that, Rashford is not a natural number nine and looks more comfortable as a wide forward down the left flank.