Latest news with #AstonVilla
The Sun
an hour ago
- Business
- The Sun
Barcelona ‘don't want to pay for Marcus Rashford' in blow to Man Utd with two other Prem wingers on their shortlist
MANCHESTER UNITED have been dealt a blow after Barcelona reportedly declared they do NOT want to pay for Marcus Rashford. The England forward's future is in the spotlight following a half-season loan at Aston Villa. 1 Rashford scored two goals in 14 outings under Unai Emery while helping Villa reach the Champions League quarters. But their failure to qualify for next season's competition means they are unlikely to sign Rashford permanently for an already-agreed £40million. SunSport exclusively revealed the 27-year-old wants to play in the Champions League. And he has now set his sights on a move to Spanish champions Barcelona. Hansi Flick's men are indeed interested in Rashford. However, German outlet Bild claims they do not want to sign him permanently and are only willing to discuss a loan deal. It leaves United in a precarious position, with the Red Devils hoping to cash in on Rashford to fund new signings. It's believed they would give the OK to one more loan move for Rashford. But it requires Barcelona to cover the entirety of his £315,000-a-week wages while also paying a loan fee between £5m and £10m. United also want to agree an option fee for a permanent deal in the summer of 2026. Marcus Rashford sells Lamborghini supercar for £450,000 and buys incredibly rare £177,000 Audi However, Barcelona's reluctance to hand over any money for Rashford could see them look elsewhere. If they are to spend hard cash, the Catalans would reportedly prefer to sign Liverpool's Colombian star Luis Diaz. Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli is also in their sights. While Flick remains a fan of Bayern Munich's Kingsley Coman.
Wales Online
an hour ago
- Business
- Wales Online
Steven Gerrard's massive net worth, model wife and daughter's baby with jailed criminal's son
Steven Gerrard's massive net worth, model wife and daughter's baby with jailed criminal's son The Liverpool legend is on punditry duty for TNT Sports' coverage of the Champions League final Gerrard and his wife Alex Curran will celebrate 18 years of marriage next month (Image: Dave J Hogan/Dave) The biggest prize in European club football is up for grabs tonight as Paris Saint-Germain take on Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Munich. Inter are looking to seal their fourth Champions League title after overcoming Barcelona in a thrilling semi-final contest, while PSG are determined to finally get their hands on the trophy that has eluded them throughout their history and win it for the first time, having beaten a string of English sides - Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal - to make it to the final. Millions will tune in from around the world to watch the eagerly-anticipated clash, with TNT Sports broadcasting the game in the UK. The coverage will be fronted by Laura Woods, with a stacked punditry line-up featuring Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand, Karen Carney and Owen Hargreaves. Gerrard, of course, knows a thing about winning the Champions League, having lifted the trophy as captain of Liverpool after their remarkable comeback win against AC Milan in the 2005 final in Istanbul. An Anfield legend, the former midfielder hung up his boots in 2016 as he brought the curtain down on a career that also saw him win countless individual awards as well as two FA Cups, three League Cups, a UEFA Cup and a UEFA Super Cup. Since retiring from playing, Gerrard has moved into management, taking charge of Rangers, Aston Villa and Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq. However, he left the Saudi Pro League club in January. As he prepares to give his take on Saturday night's action, here's what you need to know about the Liverpool icon's life away from football. Huge net worth After a lucrative playing career, Gerrard has a huge estimated net worth of around £75 million, according to 888Sports. He is believed to have earned around £22.5 million over the course of his career which saw him spend 17 years at Liverpool before hanging up his boots at MLS side LA Galaxy. The 45-year-old has also earned a pretty penny in management, having been on a reported £15.2 million-a-year salary while manager of Al-Ettifaq. That figure made Gerrard the fourth-highest paid manager in the world at the time, with only Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Diego Simeone ahead of him. His huge net worth has also been boosted by several different sponsorship deals over the course of his career, having endorsed the brands including Adidas, Jaguar and Lucozade. Model wife Gerrard will celebrate 18 years of marriage with his wife Alex Curran next month, having tied the knot in a glamorous ceremony in Buckinghamshire in June 2007. Funnily enough, the couple - who first got together in 2002 - married on the same day as the weddings of his England team-mates Gary Neville and Michael Carrick. A former nail technician, Curran later moved into modelling and worked as a fashion columnist for the Daily Mirror and OK! Magazine. Together, the couple have four children together - Lilly-Ella, Lexie, Lourdes and Lio. During Gerrard's time at Al-Ettifaq, Curran and the children chose to live in Bahrain rather than Saudi Arabia and lived a glamorous lifestyle in a luxury villa. While he was manager at Rangers, the former Liverpool ace admitted his wife would see him quit football management "tomorrow" due to the pressure it puts on their family life. He told the High Performance Podcast: 'There are times when it dominates your life and you can't control that. That's what it is. 'But there will be a stage in my life where I have to give it up, for the sake of my family and for myself. To cut it, and live life with a bit of peace. There's got to be a stage of your life where you have calm and peace, but at the moment I don't feel ready for it. 'I do still feel full of energy. I do think I can help players. I do see opportunities to have more highs, and buzzes, and adrenaline rushes. 'For Alex and the kids, at some stage, I'm going to have to give me self to them, 100%. When that will be, who knows? Alex would take it tomorrow. She'd take it tomorrow.' He added: 'Alex is the one who brings me down, when I've come in, and think I'm fantastic. If I've scored a goal, or we've won a game, she pipes me down. 'And when you're on the floor, and you're staring at the wall, she's the one who helps pick you up." Daughter's baby with jailed criminal's son In January, Gerrard's eldest daughter Lilly-Ella revealed that she is expecting her first child with boyfriend Lee Byrne. The 20-year-old revealed the news on social media as she shared a photo of her positive pregnancy test and added the caption: "Our little secret. "The best news," she added. "Mini us is on the way." Her partner Lee is the son of notorious Dublin criminal Liam Byrne, who was sentenced to five years in prison for weapons charges in October 2024. Meanwhile, Lee's grandfather, James 'Jaws' Byrne, who died last year at the age of 77, was a career criminal. Article continues below However, LBC reports that Gerrard treats Lee "just as he would anyone else', while he was also thrilled to hear that he was becoming a grandfather at the age of 45. In response to Lilly-Ella's announcement, he wrote: 'We can't wait, great news and congratulations - we love you."
The Sun
an hour ago
- Business
- The Sun
Man Utd tipped for audacious Caoimhin Kelleher transfer from arch-rivals Liverpool to replace Andre Onana
LIVERPOOL goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has been tipped for a shock move to fierce rivals Manchester United. United's goalkeeper crisis means they could look to sell Andre Onana Altay Bayindir and release Tom Heaton this summer. 1 Onana and No 2 stopper Bayindir are both prone to howlers, with United eyeing a complete reset. Meanwhile Kelleher, capped 22 times for Ireland already, is understood to want to compete for regular minutes. Kelleher secured his second Premier League title with Liverpool this season but only started 10 games with Alisson ahead of him in the pecking order. Prominent United reporter at ESPN Mark Ogden has put Kelleher on his shortlist of potential goalkeepers to replace Onana. Ogden said: "Kelleher wants to move, he wants to play football. "It would be good deal at such a low price to get someone with proven experience in English football." Liverpool value the 26-year-old in excess of £20million, with Brentford also interested. The champions have only been open to selling him since securing Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia last summer. Join SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plus in-depth coverage and exclusives from Old Trafford Meanwhile, Aston Villa No 1 Emi Martinez is the bookie's favourite to replace Onana at Old Trafford. SunSport exclusively revealed that Martinez, twice voted Best Goalkeeper in the world, is reportedly up for the challenge. Martinez, 32, fuelled speculation when he broke down in tears and took a bow in front of the Holte End after Villa's final home game of the season. The World Cup winner's contract runs until 2029 but a bid of £40million or more would ease Villa's PSR concerns.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Barcelona 'do NOT want to pay Marcus Rashford's £40m fee' as the Catalan giants 'prefer another Premier League winger' over the Man United outcast
Barcelona are unwilling to meet Manchester United's £40m asking price for Marcus Rashford, according to a report. The 2024-25 La Liga champions have made their interest in Rashford no secret, with the club's sporting director Deco revealing he 'likes' the England international earlier this month. Meanwhile, Mail Sport understands Rashford, 27, is expected to leave United this summer after falling out with Ruben Amorim and has been keen on joining Barca for some time. Rashford enjoyed a solid run of performances for Aston Villa after joining them on loan for the second half of the season from United during the January transfer window. While he impressed at points with four goals and six assists in 17 appearances for Unai Emery 's side, his promising shows were curtailed by a hamstring injury. In spite of his rejuvenated form for Villa, Barcelona's interest in the England international does not extend past a loan deal, according to German outlet Bild. It is believed that United would prefer to rid themselves of Rashford entirely and are not interested in another loan move. A possible option for United could be a loan deal with an option to buy. The report went on to state that the Red Devils may look for between between £5m and £10m for the loan, Barcelona to cover Rashford's salary, and a non-binding option to buy at the end of the 2025-2026 season. Rashford currently rakes in around £315,000 per week, meaning it would be no easy task for Barca to fork out the funds to cover this, especially in light of the dire financial situation. If the Catalan giants cannot arrive at a mutually suitable deal for Rashford, they would reportedly rather invest in Liverpool's Luis Diaz. The winger's future at Anfield is uncertain as he enters the last two years of his current deal. And in the event a move for Diaz fails, two aces up Barcelona's sleeve are Bayern Munich star Kingsley Coman and Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli. Rashford's brother Dwaine Maynard held talks with Barcelona chiefs in Spain earlier this week over a potential move. Maynard - Rashford's agent - is understood to have met the club's sporting director Deco at a hotel in the city on Wednesday. Addressing the possibility that Barcelona might move for the star, Deco said: 'We like Luis Diaz, we like Rashford… and we like other wingers too'. 'We can't talk about players under contract with other clubs'. Barcelona have had an impressive season under Hansi Flick, beating arch-rivals to both La Liga and Copa Del Rey titles while also reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Man Utd identify £70m ex-Premier League star as Bruno Fernandes replacement if captain leaves for Al-Hilal
RUBEN AMORIM will make a £70million swoop for Pedro Goncalves - if Bruno Fernandes heads for Saudi Arabia. But Manchester United 's hopes of landing the Sporting Lisbon prize guy could be scuppered if the Portuguese club sell Viktor Gyokeres first. 2 United skipper Fernandes has until Friday to tell Al-Hilal if he is up for a move to the Middle East, and the Saudis are ready to pay £100m if they get the thumbs up. And if Fernandes does take the plunge on a three-year deal, the cash-strapped Reds could afford Goncalves – also known as Pote - with money to spare. Manager Amorim would still prefer to keep his captain, and insisted he was confident of doing so after United's post-season trip to Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur. But he is equally aware that a salary of more than £1m a WEEK is hugely tempting for Fernandes. And the Old Trafford money men know they will hit the jackpot by banking such a fee for a man who turns 31 a month into next season. Goncalves, 26, had two years at Wolves as a teenager, but returned to Portugal without playing a game. Amorim took him to Lisbon from Famalicao six years ago, transforming him into a more attacking midfielder who can also play wide. Goncalves, who hit 23 goals as Sporting ended a 19-year title drought in 2021, missed five months of last season with a ruptured thigh muscle. But he returned in April and scored in the final day victory over Vitoria which clinched the Portuguese championship again. Goncalves is also on Aston Villa's wish list, but United believe his relationship with Amorim puts them in pole position. The biggest stumbling block could arise if Arsenal or Napoli can seal an early deal for £67m-rated striker Gyokeres, as Sporting would be unwilling to cash in on two of their star men. But the Portuguese side will land a £5m-plus jackpot if Fernandes heads to the Middle East, thanks to a clause giving them ten percent of any profit United make on their skipper.
