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MANCHESTER: Marcus Rashford has been given a new shirt number after rejoining Manchester United, a development that could provide a clue to his future at the club.

Rashford was previously expected to have played his last game with United after being ousted from his boyhood club by Ruben Amorim in December 2024.

After loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona, ​​the England striker was expected to join the Spanish giants on a permanent basis, but Barcelona chose not to activate his £26 million buyout clause.

The situation has left Rashford, 29, in limbo, with only a handful of clubs showing interest in him, while United are reportedly reluctant to give him a second chance.

After playing at the World Cup, Rashford finally returned to training on Sunday, rejoining the Red Devils squad for the first time in more than 18 months.

He looked cheerful as he took photos with supporters and accepted requests to sign autographs.

United manager Michael Carrick confirmed Rashford will be in the squad for the final two pre-season friendlies.

“We will have a full squad next week in Dublin.

“We flew straight there and met Leeds on Wednesday. We had a few days in Dublin with the whole squad, including Marcus, Kobbie [Mainoo] and Lisandro [Martinez].

“I’ve played with him before. I was in the game when he made his debut, so we have history,” said Carrick.

While it has not been confirmed that Rashford will remain a United player this season, the club have hinted that he could be in the pipeline after giving him a new shirt number.

The striker was unable to return to wearing his beloved number 10 jersey after the number was given to Matheus Cunha upon his arrival from Wolves last summer.

In fact, the numbers 19 and 39 that Rashford once wore now belong to new players, Bryan Mbeumo and Tyler Fletcher.

However, according to Fabrizio Romano, Rashford will now wear the number 14 jersey, the number he used when at Barcelona and which is usually given to important first-team players.

At United, the number 14 jersey has previously been worn by Christian Eriksen, Jesse Lingard and Javier Hernandez.

United are said to have chosen the number as a message of confidence in Rashford and a sign that he will be reintegrated into the first-team at Old Trafford, unless an agreement can be reached with another club.

Several clubs from Turkey and Saudi Arabia have contacted Rashford, but he wants to play for a top European club to ensure his chances of remaining in the England squad.

Rashford has also been linked with Arsenal and Tottenham, but recent developments suggest he could return to his boyhood club this season.

LONDON: A police security document has revealed several serious threats during the 2026 World Cup, including warnings of suicide bomb attacks targeting the tournament.

The document seen by Informacion.es details several attempted terrorist threats, with the Argentina squad among the teams targeted.

Before Argentina’s match against Jordan, a man is believed to have contacted Dallas airport and claimed he and two others were going to storm the stadium using “homemade bombs and AR-15 rifles”.

The suspect also threatened to attack “police officers and players from both teams”, while also paying particular attention to the intention to kill Argentina captain Lionel Messi.

Argentina’s action against Egypt was also targeted when an individual allegedly wrote on the X platform: “I will enter the Atlanta stadium and blow up Messi with four bombs attached to my body.”

During the match, another man called the police and claimed to have left “three bombs” in trash cans around the stands.

The double threat triggered a massive search operation at the stadium involving bomb disposal experts and sniffer dogs.

Apart from Messi, Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo was also linked to a security threat when a FIFA employee reported a suspicious man trying to obtain information regarding the player’s whereabouts.

A die-hard fan also reportedly broke into Ronaldo’s hotel and tried to get into the elevator with him.

After being arrested by police, the man claimed he only wanted to take a selfie with Ronaldo.

Referee Francois Letexier also received more than 6,000 threatening messages via his personal WhatsApp after several controversial decisions during Argentina’s match against Egypt.

Video assistant referee (VAR) official Willy Delajod from France also received angry messages including death threats from Egyptian fans.

LONDON: Arsenal have reportedly reached an agreement on personal terms with Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior, according to claims by a popular account on the X platform.

The English Premier League champions are said to be eyeing a high-profile move for the 26-year-old Brazilian winger.

Vinicius only has one year left on his contract with Real Madrid.

The player is represented by Roc Nation, the agency owned by famous singer Jay-Z, who is reportedly in talks with the club.

A well-known X-account among Arsenal fans, Hand of Arsenal, which has over 370,000 followers, claims that Arsenal have reached a preliminary agreement on personal terms with Vinicius.

According to the account, Roc Nation is now ready to hold talks with Real Madrid by bringing a lucrative offer from the English champions.

However, previous reports stated that Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is determined to keep Vinicius at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Portuguese manager reportedly wants to continue working with the winger regardless of his contract situation.

Real Madrid are also close to finalizing the transfer of RB Leipzig player Yan Diomande for a huge fee.

However, sources within the club insist the player is not a replacement for Vinicius.

They also reminded that several Real Madrid and Barcelona stars had previously been linked with moves to the English Premier League before eventually signing lucrative new contracts to remain in Spain.

Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insists he wants to bring in players who can take the team to a higher level.

The left wing position is one of Arsenal’s priorities to strengthen following Gabriel Martinelli’s future which is still uncertain, while Leandro Trossard has left the club to join Besiktas.

“We all understand the situation of the transfer window this time.

“From the club owner, the board of directors, the sporting director to myself, we know we want to take this club to a different level.

“That requires a stronger squad and better quality players.

“We have identified aspects that can be improved and how we want to develop our game to achieve that target.

“Hopefully in the near future we can make it happen,” said Arteta.

LONDON: Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has cast doubt on Bradley Barcola’s ability to handle the task of replacing Mohamed Salah if the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) striker moves to Anfield.

Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Barcola as a replacement for Salah, but Carragher believes the player is not the best choice to fill the void left by the Egyptian star.

The former Liverpool defender expressed his views via social media after reports of The Reds’ interest in the 23-year-old surfaced.

Barcola, who usually plays on the left wing, is also capable of playing on the right and as a centre forward.

Reports also claim that Barcola is open to joining Liverpool, with the club prepared to spend around £100 million to secure his services.

Liverpool are seen as desperate to find a player who can fill Salah’s role, but Barcola is expected to face a difficult task to match the Egyptian striker’s goal and assist contributions.

Meanwhile, Liverpool also brought in Victor Munoz from Osasuna and the player is expected to try to make an immediate impact in the English Premier League next season.

Munoz finished last season with six goals and two assists in 34 La Liga appearances.

The player was also in the Spanish squad that won the World Cup, but did not manage to make any appearances in the tournament.

Liverpool endured a disappointing season that led to the sacking of Arne Slot, with Andoni Iraola now tasked with restoring the club’s glory.

The new manager hopes to start the 2026-27 season with flying colours and intends to strengthen the attacking machinery in this transfer window.

LONDON: Spain’s World Cup-winning captain Rodri is expected to be sidelined for a short period after undergoing minor back surgery, Manchester City said on Monday.

The Premier League club confirmed that the 30-year-old midfielder underwent the procedure successfully after experiencing prolonged discomfort.

“Manchester City can confirm that Rodri has successfully undergone minor surgery on his back.

“The midfielder has been experiencing discomfort for some time, but has now undergone procedures to address the issue and will begin a short recovery period,” City said in a statement.

Rodri was previously named player of the tournament after helping Spain lift the World Cup trophy in the United States earlier this month, but the latest injury has once again affected his fitness.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner has faced several fitness issues since suffering a serious knee injury almost two years ago.

The former Atletico Madrid player still has a year left on his contract with City, but speculation over his future has intensified after Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final.

City’s new manager, Enzo Maresca, previously insisted he was not worried about the situation and was confident that Rodri would return to strengthen the team after fully recovering.

City are scheduled to face Arsenal in their season opener in the Community Shield on August 16 before starting their Premier League campaign against Bournemouth the following week.