
'I hope he stays' - what does the future hold for Watkins?
As Ollie Watkins finds himself on the Aston Villa bench at key moments, we asked one of BBC Sport's go-to club contributors what the future holds for the England striker. Is he nearing an exit? Or will Watkins reiterate his importance over the coming weeks?Find more from Richard Sutherland at The Villa Park Podcast, external

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Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Marcus Rashford hits back at fan who took swipe at him after posting training clip - with the Man United star facing an uncertain future
Marcus Rashford has hit back at an online critic, who took a swipe at him after the Man United forward shared training footage. Rashford, 27, posted a short clip on his Instagram doing cardio work, running and jumping on the pitch as he prepares to hit the ground running in pre-season. He accompanied the clip with the words: 'Feeling better again', alongside a grinning emoji. But one naysayer responded to the reposted clip on X, writing: 'Every pre-season he does these photo shoots but then goes to see boxing matches half way round the world days before important matches! 'Makes no sense if you are feeling good one month before the season starts.' It is unclear which boxing match halfway around the world the poster was referring to but Rashford did attend Conor Benn 's fight with Chris Eubank Jr on UK soil the day Aston Villa lost their FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace - a game he was injured for. Rashford saw the comment and replied: 'I'm feeling good because I'm now injury free pal.' It remains to be seen whether Rashford has a future at Man United having been loaned out by Ruben Amorim last January. He found form and confidence again at Aston Villa under Unai Emery and is valued at around £40million. His agent met with Barcelona director Deco in Spain at the end of the season and United want to move the 27-year-old's £315,000-a-week salary off their wage bill. Villa could return for another loan as a transfer may be too steep for PSR parameters but Rashford's preference is understood to be Barcelona if they can stump up the fee. With United already having bolstered their attack with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo expected to follow, it seems even more unlikely Rashford will be at Old Trafford next term. Earlier this month, Rashford was spotted enjoying some downtime in St Tropez with a 22-year-old influencer known mononymously as Wiktoria.


The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Jadon Sancho at centre of three-way Premier League transfer battle with Man Utd misfit not part of Ruben Amorim's plans
THREE Premier League clubs are battling to sign Jadon Sancho, SunSport can reveal. The former Borussia Dortmund winger is back at Manchester United after Chelsea rejected the chance to make his move permanent. 4 4 Manager Ruben Amorim has no plans to integrate Sancho back into his first team - meaning the 25-year-old is searching for a fresh start. And SunSport understands Aston Villa, Tottenham and Newcastle are all monitoring developments. Villa are thought to be keen on a loan deal for the player, but United would prefer cash to free up funds for a rebuild. Newcastle and Tottenham both see Sancho as a strong option as they look to build squads that can compete in the League and the Champions League. Borussia Dortmund were also tracking Sancho, but they've now opted for Jobe Bellingham. Despite netting in the 4-1 Europa Conference League final win over Real Betis, Sancho couldn't seal a £25million switch to Chelsea. Chelsea had initially loaned Sancho from United and had agreed to buy him for £25million, unless they dropped below 14th or coughed up a £5m penalty clause. Now, Chelsea's eyes are set on a range of wingers, including Jamie Byroe-Gittens and Nico Williams of Borussia Dortmund and Athletic Bilbao, respectively. Jadon Sancho shares his Chelsea highlights reel as he says goodbye to fans ahead of Man Utd return 4 They are still linked with Sancho's team-mate Alejandro Garnacho, who looks to have been banished to the wilderness by Ruben Amorim in a similar fallout to the one Sancho had with Erik ten Hag. United have set a staggering £70m asking price on the Argentine winger. Garnacho is viewed as one of United's sellable assets this summer as he is considered homegrown, although he does have three years remaining on his contract. Chelsea today confirmed Sancho's return to Man Utd in a 92-word statement on the club website. It said: "Sancho, 25, joined on a season-long loan on August 31 2024 and went on to make a total of 41 appearances for the club. "The winger registered five goals during his time at Stamford Bridge, with his final strike coming in the Blues' UEFA Conference League Final victory against Real Betis on May 28. "Everyone at Chelsea would like to thank Jadon for his efforts and we wish him every success for the future." 4


Powys County Times
2 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Jack Grealish left out of Manchester City's Club World Cup squad
Jack Grealish has been left out of Manchester City's squad for the Club World Cup. The England international was not included in the 27-man travelling party published by the Premier League club on Wednesday. The 29-year-old's omission had been widely anticipated and will raise further doubts over his future at the Etihad Stadium. The midfielder, signed for £100million from Aston Villa four years ago, has fallen down the pecking order at City since playing a starring role in their treble success of 2023. He made just seven Premier League starts in the 2024-25 campaign and was notably not summoned from the bench as City went down to a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final last month. He was then left out of the matchday squad for the final Premier League game of the season at Fulham altogether. With City's overhaul of the squad continuing apace with four new signings this week, there is growing speculation Grealish could leave. He has been linked with a number of clubs in England and in Europe. Your City travelling squad for the @FIFACWC 📋🔒 #TakeItToTheWorld 🌍 — Manchester City (@ManCity) June 11, 2025 As expected, Kevin De Bruyne will also not be involved in this summer's tournament in the United States. The Belgian playmaker is leaving City this summer but could still have played before his contract expires on June 30. The 33-year-old looks set to join Serie A champions Napoli when he officially becomes a free agent. New signings Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki, Tijani Reijnders and Marcus Bettinelli are all included in Pep Guardiola's squad, which could have featured up to 35 names. There will be an opportunity to register more players for the knockout stages should City progress that far. City begin their campaign against Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca in Philadelphia next Wednesday before facing further group games against Al Ain of Abu Dhabi and Juventus.