Arsenal know exactly what they must do to sign Marcus Rashford this month. The 27-year-old forward faces an uncertain future at Manchester United after claiming he's 'ready for a new challenge'.

Rashford, who sees his contract at Old Trafford expire in June 2028, has featured 15 times in the Premier League this season, scoring four goals and providing one assist. The England international struggled to impress under Erik ten Hag, which ultimately cost the Dutchman his job.

When United appointed Ruben Amorim, he was expected to be given a new lease of life. However, despite netting three in his first two appearances under the Portuguese tactician, Rashford hasn't managed to transform his fortunes.

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Then, after the Manchester derby last month – which United won 2-1 – Rashford all but confirmed that he wants to leave in the January transfer window. In an interview with Henry Winter on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said: "If I know that a situation is already bad I'm not going to make it worse.

"I've seen how other players have left in the past and I don't want to be that person. When I leave I'll make a statement and it will be from me. When I leave it's going to be 'no hard feelings'.

"You're not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That's me as a person. For me, personally, I think I'm ready for a new challenge and the next steps."

According to the Mail Online, United may be left with no choice but to accept an initial loan offer, which includes an obligation to buy at the end of the season, if they can't sell him. Chelsea wrapped up a similar deal for Jadon Sancho in the summer.

As it happens, Arsenal are looking to bolster their frontline this month. According to the Mail Online, Mikel Arteta wants to sign a 'wide forward' in January, with deals for a striker and a midfielder viewed as tasks for the summer.

Interestingly, the report states that Arsenal could reconsider the future of Neto, who's currently on loan from Bournemouth, depending on what opportunities arise. With Raheem Sterling and the shot-stopper already on loan from Premier League teams, the Gunners cannot sign another English top-flight player on a temporary basis.

So, if Arsenal offload Neto then the club have a clear pathway to Rashford. Last month, Arteta was asked if he thinks he could reignite the Englishman's career at the Emirates Stadium. The Spaniard replied: "No, and you know that I’m not going to talk about players from other clubs."