Erik ten Hag says Manchester United have no intention of selling Marcus Rashford this summer.
After signing a new five-year deal after hitting 30 goals last season, the 26-year-old academy product has scored just seven times in a poor campaign for all connected to the club.
Rashford was this week again linked with a move to Paris St Germain, which could provide United with a huge windfall at a time of Premier League profit and sustainability considerations.
It would represent pure profit on that front as he is a homegrown player but Ten Hag says financial benefits are outweighed by the importance of the forward to the future.
Rashford has had a disappointing season
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“We didn’t re-sign him last season for (five) years with the intention to sell him, no,” Ten Hag said.
“He should be part of this project, so that is not a subject we talk about.”
Ten Hag was speaking ahead of Sunday’s crunch FA Cup quarter-final against rivals Liverpool – a match that may go some way to deciding whether the manager remains part of the now Ineos-led project.

Injury-hit United have endured a tough season and need to overcome Jurgen Klopp’s side at Old Trafford to keep their last remaining hope of silverware alive.
They sit sixth in the Premier League and face an uphill battle to qualify for the Champions League but Ten Hag hopes Sunday can act as a catalyst to transform their season.
“Actually, we never got to turn around so far,” Ten Hag said. “We had our opportunities, but we missed the opportunities (to turn things around).
“Sunday we have another good opportunity to get the momentum. I think the players, the team showed lately from January on we are in a very good series of games with a lot of wins, so they have to believe they can do it. Now we have to take the momentum.
“That is also what I feel when I train with them, during and around the games; that they have that belief, a good confidence, good spirit is there in the team. Go and play and get the turnaround.”
United are underdogs heading into the quarter-final but Ten Hag expects to be boosted by the return to fitness of Rasmus Hojlund, Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Erik ten Hag’s future remains the subject of speculation
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The latter is set to return after two months out, with centre-back Maguire and striker Hojlund back after missing three and four games respectively.
“We had a good week,” Ten Hag said. “The players you mention returned on the pitch. Partly at the start of the week and today we had a session and they were all training.
Related video: Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag on their FA Cup quarter-final clash and the return of key players (Full Presser) (Dailymotion)

“I think (they are available). We have tomorrow one session. Of course, we have to see how they recover from this but it looks good.”
Ten Hag also provided a positive update on Mason Mount – who has been kept out for four months with a calf issue – and says Tom Heaton is back with fellow goalkeeper Altay Bayindir out.

“Tom Heaton is back as well,” he said. “Also, it was very good Mason Mount trained also (the) whole week with us.
“First part of the week also partly but then also he had some full sessions with us, so it’s looking good.”
Lisandro Martinez, Anthony Martial, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia remain sidelined, while Jonny Evans has been dealing with calf and thigh problems recently.
United said “his game-time has been carefully managed”, which is why he has not been included in Northern Ireland’s squad for their March internationals.

Man Utd: Ornstein claims Ashworth deal ‘no closer’ despite Newcastle ‘speed up’ reports

The Athletic’s David Ornstein insists Man Utd are “not yet any/much closer” to bringing in Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe completed a deal to buy 25 per cent of the Premier League club last month with the British billionaire now in charge of the footballing operation.

Newcastle looking to speed up the process?

The INEOS founder has already brought in Omar Berrada from arch-rivals Man City as the new CEO, while Ashworth is expected to follow if they can agree compensation with Newcastle.
Ratcliffe and INEOS also reportedly want Crystal Palace’s Dougie Freedman as their new head of recruitment and Southampton’s Jason Wilcox as technical director.
Widespread reports have indicated that Newcastle are looking for around £20m to allow Ashworth to leave for Man Utd but the Red Devils are hoping to pay around half that amount.
Yesterday, the Daily Telegraph insisted that the Magpies ‘want to speed up Ashworth’s exit as [Paul] Mitchell heads a shortlist of candidates to replace the Manchester United-bound sporting director’.
READ MORE: Big Weekend: Manchester United v Liverpool, Chelsea, Dubravka, Forest’s Prem six-pointer
Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth issued his own update too and claimed that Man Utd luring Ashworth to Old Trafford was a “matter of when and not if”.
Related video: Newcastle star Anthony Gordon picked for England despite injury worries (Dailymotion)

Sheth told GiveMeSport: “The fact that we are getting more excited about men in suits than actual transfers shows how important these roles have become at football clubs, particularly at Manchester United.
“It looks like it’s a matter of when and not if Dan Ashworth will take up the sporting director post. We know that Manchester United have made an approach and that he wants to go. As a result of that, Newcastle have placed him on gardening leave.
“There is going to be a lot of brinkmanship over this because, publicly, Newcastle will probably say he has got to serve his gardening leave. But Manchester United will want to get him in situ as soon as possible, even though they might publicly say they are quite relaxed about the whole thing.”

Ornstein: Man Utd no closer to striking a deal

Despite the report in the Daily Telegraph, Ornstein – who is a respected journalist at The Athletic – insists there has been no change as far as he has heard.
Ornstein said: “I’m still not aware of any significant developments between Newcastle and Man Utd for Ashworth to start his new role. I’ve seen today’s reports about Newcastle wanting to get it done quickly and Paul Mitchell heading up their list of candidates to succeed Ashworth.
“But you can only report your own information and from the checks I’ve made so far, Man Utd are not yet any/much closer to getting their man than they were before.”

Sheff Utd man believes his club’s form kept him out of national side – ‘my team doesn’t keep the ball’

Vinicius Souza believes Sheffield United’s form counted against him in relation to a Brazil call-up, as “my team doesn’t keep the ball much” and that’s a vital aspect of playing for the Selecao.
The Blades have been the poorest side in the Premier League this season. That’s a title they can share with Burnley, with both sides currently on 14 points – 18th-placed Luton are seven points ahead of the pair.

The South Yorkshire outfit have lose 20 of their 28 games, and have struggled for any sort of control in most of their fixtures.
Midfield man Souza has been a shining light in an otherwise dull team. He’s made 105 tackles in the league this season – second only to Fulham’s Joao Palhinha, and 22 more than the next-highest tally.
But while he’s been able to sweep up well, he’s not been able to showcase many other skills as a result of the Blades’ poor control of games.
He believes playing there at the moment will count against him in terms of Brazilian selection, as he can’t show whether he’d be a good fit for their style.
“Honestly? No,” he told Coluna do Fla on if he expected a call-up.
“Not because of me, but because of the situation at my club. I think that for the national team it’s a bit of a problem. That’s my opinion. But not in relation to my football.
Related video: If you’re a new football fan which team are you supporting: Spurs,Chelsea or Manchester United? (Homestand Sports)

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“I think that for my football I could [get called up], I really could. But there’s the whole thing, you know.
“My team doesn’t keep the ball much either. That’s very important for the national team. So it’s going to weigh a bit. And the players who went can defend and have the ball, so they can stand out more. And, well, the guys are doing a brilliant job too. So I was really cool.”
Souza has been able to showcase his defensive abilities very well. In comparison to positional peers in top-five leagues over the last year, he ranked in the 99th percentile for tackles, along with very good numbers in clearances, aerials won and blocks.
If the Blades manage to play better football in the coming seasons, or he gets a move elsewhere, he could plead his case in terms of his other assets, with a view to potentially making his Brazil debut at some point.
READ MORE: Spurs can no longer be relegated as Bournemouth maintain Premier League title dream

Ferdinand claims Ronaldo ‘was right’ about Man Utd star as Al-Hilal star is ranked fifth best winger in PL history

Rio Ferdinand has insisted former Man Utd winger Cristiano Ronaldo “was right” about Diogo Dalot after the Portuguese defender’s recent performances.
The Red Devils are not having the best season with Erik ten Hag’s side finishing bottom of their Champions League group and sitting sixth in the Premier League.

Ferdinand: Dalot deserves a special mention

However, Ferdinand has been raving about one Man Utd star with the former England international selecting Portugal right-back Dalot for a “special mention”.
And Ferdinand gave his former Man Utd team-mate Ronaldo praise for tipping Dalot to come good despite some early adjusting at Old Trafford.
“Dalot needs a special mention. He is someone I doubted early on,” Ferdinand said on his Vibe with Five podcast.
“I remember speaking to Cristiano Ronaldo and said, ‘Is he really that good?’ – and Cristiano said he will work hard, make himself better and 100 per cent improve. He saw it behind the scenes so he knew that.
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“I said to Darren Fletcher when I was at the training ground the other day that he has really impressed me. Darren said that he is a worker, he’s going to make himself the player he needs to be.
Related video: Cristiano Ronaldo launches ‘special’ new business venture away from football (The Independent)

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“I still think defensively he probably needs to work a little bit. With the ball, if we have players running onto them, the forwards will make the runs and we will score more goals.”
Ronaldo had a brilliant time at Man Utd during his early career with the current Al-Hilal forward scoring 118 goals in 292 appearances before notching 27 in 54 on his return to the Premier League in 2021.

Cristiano Ronaldo fifth best winger in Premier League history?

Speaking to Gary Lineker and Micah Richards on an episode of Match of the Day Top 10, former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer selected Ronaldo as the fifth best winger the Premier League has ever seen in his top ten.
Richards said: “Guys, are you watching? BBC’s number one pundit has put Ronaldo 5th! Number one pundit in the BBC!”


The former Man City defender added his reasons for putting Ronaldo top of his list, he added: “He was unplayable at times, though, Ronaldo, wasn’t he? Ronaldo’s gotta be No 1. Ronaldo, come on. He won three titles in six years.”
Responding to Richards, Lineker explained: “Well, you’ve gone basically who is the best rather than who is the best in the Premier League.”
Shearer added: “Best player, yeah, No 1 [is] Ronaldo, but this is best wingers.”

Postecoglou gives encouraging timeframe on Van de Ven Tottenham return; key star back for Fulham

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has given an update on Micky van de Ven’s expected return to action, while also backing Radu Dragusin to grasp his opportunity against Fulham on Saturday.
Dutch centre-back Van de Ven has been ruled out of the game at Craven Cottage after suffering a minor hamstring injury during the 4-0 thumping of Aston Villa last weekend.

Van de Ven’s absence will hand January signing Dragusin his first start since making his switch from Serie A side Genoa.
And Postecoglou is more than confident that the Romania international will rise to the occasion, having impressed in the second half of Tottenham‘s victory at Villa Park.
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“I’ll take the suspense out of it. He’ll start tomorrow,” Postecoglou said when speaking about Dragusin.
“It’s a good opportunity for him. We obviously brought him in with a view that it was evident we were very short in that area and he’d had a very good half-season in Italy.
“He’s had to be patient and I said to him when we signed him I couldn’t tell him when he’d get an opportunity but he would get an opportunity.
“I thought he did well when he came on the other day (against Aston Villa). It was good that the team was already in a good rhythm but the scoreline was still 0-0.
Related video: Postecoglou on preparations against Fulham tomorrow (Dailymotion)

“He contributed to how we finished the game. He’s a pretty assured young guy. He has belief in himself, he has really good people around him.
“I think he can bring something to the team. He’s a very strong defender, very good in the duels and I think we’re going to need that tomorrow.
“More than anything that half-an-hour at least gives him that game-time he needs at the level.
“He was exposed to a very good team and some very good opposition players. I think that will help him tomorrow, particularly at the beginning of the game.”

Van de Ven not facing lengthy break

The good news on Van de Ven is that he should be back after the upcoming international break.
Postecoglou added: “Micky, nothing too significant. He’ll miss tomorrow, but we’re quite confident if the recovery goes well with the international break, he shouldn’t miss too much more.

“I think he came off at the right time to be honest, so while he misses tomorrow, it’s still positive.”
READ MORE: Tottenham to derail cheeky Man Utd plan by triggering £15m clause; manager drops big transfer hint
One player who should return against Fulham is striker Richarlison, who is back in training after a knee injury, with Postecoglou adding: “Richy, he trained today so we’ll just see how he pulls up. If he pulls up OK, he’ll probably be available.”
Manor Solomon, meanwhile, is no closer to a return to action and will definitely miss the clash against his old club.
Postecoglou added: “Yeah, no real progress. He’s still in that position of not being really comfortable where he’s at.
“So, we’ll give him the time he needs to be in the palace where he can recover. The medical team is looking at some other strategies now.”

Liverpool icon and USMNT star among 6 former Premier League players thriving in MLS

Former Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal stars are among the former Premier League players who are currently thriving in MLS.
Whether it’s a swansong for a player in his mid-30s or the chance to reignite a promising career that had stalled in its earlier stages, Major League Soccer has long offered a home for footballers making a transatlantic trip from Europe.

Lionel Messi – fitting firmly into the former category – is, of course, the most notable current example. But there are also several players that once plied their trade in England’s top flight who have found success Stateside.
Here are six former Premier League players currently thriving in MLS.

Luis Suarez

Suarez might only be six games into his Inter Miami career, but already the former Liverpool and Barcelona striker has made a huge impact, scoring four goals and providing five assists.
The 37-year-old has teamed up with old Camp Nou colleagues Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba at Chase Stadium, as the David Beckham-owned club set their sights on dominating US soccer in the same way their ageing stars once ruled over La Liga.
Related video: Premier League title race hots up - Liverpool and Man City draw 1-1, as Arsenal move top (SNTV)

Following a season with Gremio in which he was named Brazil’s Player of the Year after scoring 17 goals in 33 games, Suarez continues to defy the effects of age and the deterioration of his knees to prove he can still perform to almost unmatchable levels.

Christian Benteke

Benteke moved to DC United midway through the 2022 MLS season and the former Crystal Palace and Aston Villa marksman got off to a slow start Stateside, netting just once in his first seven outings.
But last season – his first full campaign in the US – the 33-year-old proved he still knows where the goal is, scoring 14 times in 31 league games to earn a spot on the MLS All-Star team.
So far this season, injury has limited Benteke to just one appearance for DC, but with a hat-trick against the New England Revolution, he showed he is ready to carry forward the momentum he generated with his performances in 2023.


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Carles Gil

Next up is another ex-Aston Villa player, albeit one who made distinctly less of an impact in the West Midlands than Benteke.
There were high hopes for Spanish winger Gil when he arrived at Villa Park from Valencia in January 2015. But he went on to play just 34 games for the club over the next two and a half years.
His only full season in the Villa first team saw the club relegated to the Championship. After a loan move back to Spain with Deportivo La Coruna, he was sold to the New England Revolution in 2019.
In MLS, however, Gil took flight. He scored 10 goals in his first season with the Revolution and was named the MLS Newcomer of the Year. He has since won one league MVP award and twice been named in the MLS Best XI, as well as helping New England claim the Supporters’ Shield – the award for the team with the best regular-season record – in 2021.

Cucho Hernandez

Like Gil, Hernandez only played in the Premier League for one full season. And, also like Gil, that season ended with his club, Watford, being relegated to the Championship.
The 24-year-old Colombian striker showed signs of his vast potential in loan moves away from Vicarage Road – most notably a stint with Huesca in Spain’s second tier that saw him score 16 goals in 36 games – but since his arrival in MLS in 2022, Hernandez has been outstanding.
Last season, he scored 22 goals in 34 games to fire Columbus Crew to the MLS Cup. He has begun the new campaign brightly, too, scoring twice in three games. A big-money return to Europe will be inevitable if his form holds steady.
MEANWHILE – Barcelona outcast and Ivan Toney replacement among six USMNT players set to move this summer

Matt Miazga

United States international Miazga was a Chelsea player for six and a half years, yet he only made two Premier League appearances for the Blues. A constant string of loans – to Vitesse, Nantes, Reading, Anderlecht and Alaves – was eventually broken in 2022 when he made a permanent switch back to MLS with FC Cincinnati.

Before joining Chelsea as a teenager, the towering centre-back had twice won the Supporters’ Shield with the New York Red Bulls. And in his first full season back in his homeland, he repeated the trick, helping Cincinnati top the regular-season standings last term as he was named the MLS Defender of the Year.
The hot-headed USMNT star started the 2024 season with a suspension, however, levied after he was found to have aggressively confronted the match officials after a playoff game against the Red Bulls back in November.

Carlos Vela

Vela’s career in European footballer is better remembered for his six and a half seasons in Spain with Real Sociedad – where he scored 61 goals in 213 games – than his 64 appearances across three years with Arsenal.
But it is in MLS that Vela will be remembered as a legend. The Mexican forward joined the fledgling LAFC in 2018 and was an instant hit, scoring 15 goals in 31 games during his debut season with the expansion club.
A glorious six-year stay in Los Angeles yielded 187 games, 93 goals, two Supporters’ Shields, an MLS Cup and an MLS MVP award.
The 35-year-old is currently a free agent after his contract with LAFC expired at the end of last season. Reports suggest the club hope to re-sign the veteran striker. Irrespective of what comes next for Vela, he will be regarded as one of the greatest players in MLS history.
READ MORE – Where are they now? The USMNT 2022 World Cup squad, featuring Liverpool target and Chelsea flop