MARCUS RASHFORD SPEAKS OUT ON MAN UNITED FUTURE AFTER BARCELONA LOAN

Rashford moved to Barcelona on loan from Manchester United this summer and the LaLiga giants have the option of making the deal permanent next year

Marcus Rashford is enjoying life at his new club (Getty Images)

Marcus Rashford has made it clear he wants to leave Manchester United permanently and stay at Barcelona beyond this season.

Rashford moved to Barcelona on loan from Manchester United this summer and the LaLiga giants have the option of making the deal permanent next year.

Having scored five goals in 12 games including a double in the midweek Champions League thrashing of Olympiacos, the 27-year-old is clear where his future lies, ahead of this weekend’s Clasico showdown with Real Madrid.

Marcus Rashford says he is loving life with Barcelona (Martin Rickett/PA)

Asked if he wanted to stay, Rashford told ESPN: “Oh yeah, for sure. I’m enjoying this football club and I think for anybody who loves football, Barcelona is one of the key clubs in the history of the game. For a player it’s an honour.”

Rashford has a contract at Old Trafford until 2028 but having also spent a brief spell on loan at Aston Villa last season it is highly unlikely he will return under current boss Ruben Amorim.

“People forget this, but 24, 23 years of my life was with Manchester United, so sometimes you just need a change,” added Rashford. “I think maybe this is the case with me and I’m enjoying everything.”

Injury problems loom before Clasico

Real Madrid host Barcelona this weekend as both sides grapple with a mounting injury crisis that has left them severely depleted.

Former Real midfielder Alonso faces his first Clasico after replacing Carlo Ancelotti, who departed for Brazil's national team in May following a trophyless campaign in which Barcelona dominated their rivals with four wins from four meetings.

Barcelona's superiority was emphatic, scoring 16 goals against Madrid en route to a LaLiga and Copa del Rey double, as well as the Spanish Super Cup title, as Ancelotti's Real Madrid finished the campaign empty-handed.

Alonso's tactical experiments have yielded mixed results. A humbling defeat to Paris St Germain in the Club World Cup semi-final and a loss to local rivals Atletico Madrid in LaLiga have raised questions about his project, with Real often looking exposed to counter-attacks.

Their star goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been forced to work his magic, producing crucial saves to help them secure many valuable points.

Jude Bellingham epitomises Real's season, with the England midfielder still finding his rhythm after shoulder surgery that sidelined him for several months. On his first start after surgery against Atletico Madrid, he was one of Real's worst performers and clearly out of rhythm.

Bellingham did manage his first goal of the season in Real's 1-0 Champions League victory over Juventus on Wednesday, offering hope of a return to form.

Real's attack remains a bright spot, with Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr flourishing while 20-year-old Turkey international Arda Guler is experiencing a breakout season. They have won all but one of their 12 games across all competitions this season.

They are top of the LaLiga standings on 24 points, two ahead of Barcelona, who appear to be travelling in the opposite direction under Hansi Flick after last season's double triumph.

The German coach guided his team to within minutes of their first Champions League final in a decade, but recent form has been concerning.

Getty

The Catalans needed a goal in added time by defender-turned-centre-forward Ronald Araujo to beat Girona on Saturday and avoid going three consecutive games without victory.

They were also struggling against Olympiacos in the Champions League on Tuesday until the Greek side were reduced to 10 men with a controversial red card which helped Barcelona take control before they romped to a 6-1 victory.

Barca's injury crisis has reached alarming proportions, with 10 players lost since August.

Lamine Yamal, who finished second in the Ballon d'Or vote, is struggling with lingering groin injuries and faces questions about his work ethic and off-field distractions.

The injury list makes for grim reading for both sides. Barcelona will be without Dani Olmo, Robert Lewandowski, Gavi and goalkeepers Joan Garcia and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, while coach Flick cannot be on the bench at the Santiago Bernabeu after receiving a red card against Girona.

Real Madrid are monitoring right backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal, who returned to training this week but may not be risked in such a high-stakes encounter.

Club sources suggest key defender Dean Huijsen is on track to play after missing recent matches with a calf muscle injury, while David Alaba and Antonio Ruediger remain ruled out.

additional reporting by agencies

- Lawrence Ostlere

MAN UTD GOALKEEPER ANDRÉ ONANA AGREES TRABZONSPOR LOAN MOVE

The 29-year-old joined the Red Devils from Inter Milan in 2023 for an initial 51m euros (£43.8m), plus a potential 4m euros (£3.4m) in add-ons.

Andre Onana joined Manchester United from Inter Milan in 2023 (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has agreed to join Trabzonspor on a season-long loan, the PA news agency understands.

The 29-year-old joined the Red Devils from Inter Milan in 2023 for an initial 51million euros (£43.8m), plus a potential 4m euros (£3.4m) in add-ons.

But a string of errors quickly led pressure to mount on Onana, who ended his first season with an FA Cup winners’ medal, only for more issues to follow under Ruben Amorim last term.

A hamstring injury prevented him from making a pre-season appearance and he made an awful error in his first game of the season as the Red Devils made a humiliating Carabao Cup exit at Grimsby.

It looks set to be his only United appearance of the campaign as PA understands a loan move to Trabzonspor has been agreed.

The Turkish transfer window remains open and former Fenerbahce shot-stopper Altay Bayindir, last year’s back-up to Onana, had previously been linked with a return to his homeland.

The Turkey international has started all three Premier League games this term and United made the deadline-day signing of Antwerp goalkeeper Senne Lammens for 21m euros (£18.2m) plus add-ons.

Amorim’s United return to action away to Manchester City after the international break.

- Simon Peach

'IT FEELS LIKE HOME': RASHFORD JOINS BARCELONA ON LOAN FROM MANCHESTER UNITED

English forward Marcus Rashford during his introductory news conference after he joined Barcelona on loan from Manchester United on Wednesday. | AFP-JIJI

England forward Marcus Rashford said Barcelona was a club where "dreams come true" as he joined the La Liga champion on Wednesday on a season-long loan from Manchester United with an option to buy.

Media reports said that Barcelona would cover Rashford's wages this season after the player accepted a pay cut, with the option to buy set at around €30 million ($35.25 million) for the 27-year-old.

"Very excited. I think it's a club where people's dreams come true. They win big prizes. And what the club stands for really means a lot to me as well. So it feels like I am at home," Rashford told reporters following his unveiling.

"Another factor is because the conversations I had with the manager (Hansi Flick) were positive. What he did last season was terrific.

"To lead such a young team to a very successful season and come back to preseason and still want to do more, it shows me everything I thought I knew about the club and it's everything I wished."

Once seen as a club icon and homegrown star, Rashford had a dramatic fall from grace at United, marked by a falling out with manager Ruben Amorim that paved the way for him to move to Aston Villa on loan in February.

"(Manchester United) is in a period of change and they have been for a while. I don't have anything bad to say as it has been an important part not just of my career but my life, so I was grateful for the opportunity," he added.

"But like life not everything goes as simple as you thought and this is my next chapter and I'm fully focused on improving myself and helping the team win trophies."

Barcelona said Rashford had signed his contract earlier in the afternoon. "Rashford can play anywhere in attack. Right footed, he can take players on and is an excellent finisher, talents he can now show in a Barca shirt," the club said in a statement.

The move came after Manchester-born Rashford, who made 426 senior appearances and scored 138 goals for United in all competitions, fell out of favor with Amorim, who called his work rate into question.

Rashford, who won two FA Cups, two League Cups and a Europa League title with United, joined Aston Villa on loan after Amorim said he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.

United issued a statement wishing Rashford well as it announced the deal with Barcelona.

"Everyone at Manchester United wishes Marcus good luck for the season," the club said.

The forward, who has scored 17 goals for England in 62 appearances, said he was feeling fitter and better after joining Villa, where he netted two goals in 10 league games, while United had its worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.

Rashford said he had wanted to move to Barca during the mid-season transfer window when he joined Villa.

"I was clear on my preference (to join Barcelona) from the beginning. Actually from maybe in January. It didn't work out in January so I went to Villa and enjoyed a good period there," he said.

"It was time to make another decision. My choice was easy. (Barcelona) is a family club, something I'm used to from my past. It feels like home."

Meanwhile, Barcelona canceled a preseason friendly against Vissel Kobe on Wednesday, citing "serious contractual breaches" by the tour promoter. The club also suggested it may have to scrap upcoming fixtures in South Korea.

The Catalan giants were set to play their first game in Kobe on Sunday against the J. League team that retired former Barca star Andres Iniesta also played for.

"Barcelona announces that it has been obliged to suspend its participation in the game scheduled for next Sunday in Japan due to serious contractual breaches on behalf of the promoter," Barca said in a statement.

"Nevertheless, the club will consider readjusting the leg of the summer tour in South Korea, where two games are scheduled against FC Seoul (July 31) and Daegu FC (Aug. 4), if certain conditions are met by the promoter.

"If these conditions are met, then the club will travel to South Korea in the coming days. Barcelona regrets this incident and the impact it will have on the many, many Barca fans in Japan."

The club had planned to face Italian side Como at its revamped Camp Nou stadium on Aug. 10 for its reopening but after failing to obtain the adequate permits, it was forced to move the game to the Johan Cruyff stadium by their training ground.

- REUTERS, AFP-JIJI

MANCHESTER CITY CAPTAIN KYLE WALKER JOINS AC MILAN ON LOAN

England defender leaves after contributing 17 major trophies at Manchester City

ISTANBUL

England right-back Kyle Walker joined AC Milan on loan from Manchester City until the end of the 2024-25 season, the clubs announced Friday.

“AC Milan is pleased to announce the loan signing of Kyle Andrew Walker from Manchester City FC, with an option to buy," AC Milan said in a statement.

The 34-year-old defender has been a key figure at Manchester City since joining from Tottenham Hotspur for a reported $62.6 million in 2017.

He has made 319 appearances, scored six goals and helped the club win 17 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and the 2023 UEFA Champions League in seven-and-a-half seasons.

Walker expressed his gratitude in an Instagram post for his time at City.

"Signing for this incredible club in 2017 was a dream come true. To play alongside top players has pushed me to be the best version of myself. Your unwavering support will never be forgotten," he said.

The full-back will wear the number 32 with AC Milan. It remains unclear if he will be featured in Sunday’s Serie A clash against Parma.

AC Milan is currently eighth in the Serie A standings, eight points behind fourth-placed Lazio and 19 adrift of current leader Napoli.

- Sumeyye Eryilmaz

MANCHESTER UNITED OFFER MARTIAL TO REAL MADRID

 

JACK BUTLAND LOAN DEAL DONE | MANCHESTER UNITED