DANNY MURPHY SLAMS MARCUS RASHFORD AS "TOO FAR GONE" FOR MANCHESTER UNITED
Danny Murphy reveals why Marcus Rashford will never return to Man Utd. Discover the latest on his £26m Barcelona permanent move.
Marcus Rashford’s future at Manchester United looks dead in the water. It doesn’t matter who takes over from Michael Carrick; Rashford isn’t getting back in that squad. After his loan at Aston Villa last year, Rashford switched to Barcelona for the season, and honestly, he’s been on fire there—eight goals, eleven assists. That kind of form has some United fans hoping they’ll see their hometown guy back in red next season. But not everyone’s convinced.
Danny Murphy, the former Liverpool midfielder, didn’t sugarcoat it when he spoke to BOYLE Sports. He said Rashford needs to move on and find a new challenge away from United. Murphy’s take? “Carrick, or whoever gets the job, won’t have the power to change the club’s mind about Rashford. He’s had his chances. Most of the fans have turned against him anyway.”
Murphy thinks Rashford’s already gone, at least in spirit. Even if he doesn’t seal a permanent move to Barcelona, he’d be better off somewhere else. And you can see why—he looks free out there in Spain. When he came off the bench against Real Madrid, he looked sharp, like the Rashford everyone used to rave about. Murphy’s convinced: Rashford’s United days are done, no matter who’s sitting in the manager’s chair.
And Rashford’s situation is just one headache waiting for United’s next boss. Then there’s Kobbie Mainoo. The young midfielder finally got a Premier League start this season and helped United beat Manchester City 2-0. Murphy says Mainoo actually has a shot at sticking around, especially now that Ruben Amorim’s gone.
Murphy put it bluntly: “You don’t pick players just to keep the fans happy, but you do want to give everyone a fair chance. For some reason, Amorim just wouldn’t give Mainoo a look-in, which is odd because the kid’s a serious talent. Sure, he said Mainoo was up against Bruno Fernandes for a spot, but Mainoo’s played central midfield for both his country and United in big matches. He’s shown he can do the job, even if there’s still a bit to work on defensively. Ignoring him completely? That was just strange from Amorim.”
BARTOMEU UNCOVERS SECRET 2017 MBAPPé BID DURING REVEALING CADENA SER INTERVIEW
Josep Maria Bartomeu reveals Barcelona targeted Kylian Mbappé in 2017, but coaches preferred a move for Ousmane Dembélé instead
Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has just dropped a bit of a bombshell: right after Neymar left for PSG, Barcelona actually went after Kylian Mbappe. That chaotic summer in 2017, when Neymar's record-breaking move sent shockwaves through the club, left them scrambling for a new superstar.
Bartomeu admitted in an interview with SER that Neymar’s shock exit caught everyone off guard. “Neymar’s departure came as a shock to the club; we didn’t want him to leave,” he said. Suddenly, Barcelona was scouring the market for big names, and with Mbappe starring at Monaco, he became their top target.
But here’s the twist: even though the club reached out for both Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, the coaching staff made the final call. Bartomeu explained, “We made an offer for Mbappe and another for Dembele. The coaching staff preferred Dembele.” So, instead of pushing for Mbappe, Barcelona pressed ahead with Dembele, ultimately striking a deal with Borussia Dortmund worth €105 million plus add-ons.
Of course, there was the small matter of money, too. Bartomeu clarified that the price Monaco set for Mbappe was simply out of reach: €180 million, take it or leave it, and it was PSG who could step up. “It wasn’t an offer in the strict sense. They would say to you, "He's worth €180 million." If you want Mbappe, it’s €180 million, and Paris paid it.” Between the steep price and the coaching staff’s strong preference for Dembele, Barcelona backed off.
Bartomeu also opened up about how he handled transfers during his tenure. One thing stood out: after he pushed for the Luis Suarez signing from Liverpool despite all the controversy and got hammered with criticism, he decided to step back and trust the technical staff from then on. Suarez went on to win the Champions League and four La Liga titles with Barcelona, but that experience taught Bartomeu a lesson. “The only decision I made as president or as an administrator, and which I defended vigorously, was the signing of Suarez,” he said. “I was heavily criticised by all the media, so I learned the lesson that the president or administrators cannot interfere in sporting matters. We must trust the technical staff, the sporting directors, and the coaches; it is they who decide on signings.”
BARCELONA SECURE 14-POINT LEAD OVER MADRID; ESPANYOL RESULT NOW DETERMINES TITLE
Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres scored late to move Barcelona 14 points clear, leaving them one Madrid loss from the title.
Barcelona now sit 14 points ahead of Real Madrid, and if Madrid slips up against Espanyol on Sunday, the title’s theirs.
Lewandowski finally broke the deadlock after 81 minutes, nodding in a header, and Torres added another four minutes from the end. Osasuna didn't quit, though Raul Garcia pulled one back late, but Barcelona held on for all three points. They’re inching closer to a second league title in a row, the club’s 29th overall.
If Madrid beats Espanyol, Barcelona’s next chance to seal it comes in the Clásico on May 10 against their biggest rivals.
Flick’s trying to keep his team’s focus on the next match rather than the Clasico, but Barcelona played the first half like a squad with little to lose. Missing the injured Lamine Yamal, they lost a chunk of their energy on the attack. Sure, they dominated possession, but breaking down Osasuna for real chances? That was tough.
Roony Bardghji, filling in for Yamal on the right, managed a decent long shot, but Osasuna’s keeper, Sergio Herrera, had no trouble stopping it. Honestly, Osasuna nearly shocked everyone before halftime. Ante Budimir battled through two defenders and poked the ball off the post.
Barcelona picked up the pace after the break. Dani Olmo should’ve scored from close range, but he fluffed it. Flick then rolled the dice from the bench, bringing on three subs, including Marcus Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, to take over the right flank.
Rashford almost made an immediate impact, curling a shot just over and injecting some much-needed speed. He set up the opener too, swinging in a perfect cross for Lewandowski, who lost his marker and buried his header. Torres, another sub, finished with precision to double the lead.
Still, it wasn’t comfortable. Garcia scored for Osasuna in stoppage time, left wide open in the box, forcing Barcelona to sweat out the last minutes. The Catalans dug in, clearing everything in sight as Osasuna pressed, but finally, they held on for their tenth league win in a row. Now, all they can do is wait.
