Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford has thrived during his spell at Barcelona

Manchester United are already planning for the transfer window as the Premier League season rumbles on. While Michael Carrick will be concentrating on his side’s crucial match against Aston Villa on Sunday, the recruitment team will be planning for the summer ahead.

Marcus Rashford’s future has been discussed throughout his fruitful loan spell at Barcelona. The England international has netted 10 goals and provided 13 assists for his new club, with the Catalan giants having the option to secure his move permanently for £26million.

The 28-year-old has also expressed his desire to stay at Camp Nou but finalising a move to Barcelona is reportedly complex. Meanwhile, concerns have been raised about Bryan Mbeumo’s recent form.

Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our United WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. You can also join our United Facebook page by clicking HERE and don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.

The United striker made an immediate impact after joining from Brentford but has faltered in recent matches. Here, MEN Sport looks at some of the headlines surrounding Old Trafford.

Board get Marcus Rashford message

United and Barcelona are claimed to have held multiple discussions about Rashford’s future, with the Spanish outfit seeking to renegotiate the agreed £26m fee. Barcelona’s financial difficulties are well-known, even if Rashford’s value has increased since his return to form.

Talksport has reported that negotiations between the clubs have not progressed, with United unwilling to reduce their asking price or change the terms of the deal. Despite this impasse, manager Hansi Flick has made it clear to Barcelona’s board that keeping Rashford is a top priority.

The same report identifies Chelsea’s Pedro Neto and Real Betis winger Abde Ezzalzouli as potential backup options should the club fail to secure Rashford’s services. However, as the transfer window looms, Flick appears to have made his preference known.

Bryan Mbeumo concerns

Mbeumo has come under scrutiny following recent performances, despite being United’s top scorer with 10 goals across all competitions. The 26-year-old last found the back of the net against Tottenham Hotspur on February 7.

The ex-Brentford star has contributed three goals and two assists during Carrick’s eight-match tenure but lacklustre displays against Crystal Palace and Newcastle have drawn criticism. The Sun suggests that this dip in form could be attributed to fitness issues, given the two matches were only a few days apart.

Considering United’s early cup exits have resulted in a less congested fixture list, Mbeumo’s struggles could pose a more significant problem next season when the team are likely to be in European competition.

For now, the Cameroon international will be aiming to break his four-match goalless streak this weekend. United are currently level on points with Villa ahead of their clash at Old Trafford

Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package

Advertisement

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

£49

£35

Sky

Get Sky Sports here

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

Sky shows at least 215 live Premier League games each season, an increase of up to 100, plus Formula 1, darts, golf and more.

Advertisement

Manchester City’s Premier League title ambitions were dealt a significant blow as Pep Guardiola’s side were held to a 1-1 draw at West Ham as Arsenal moved nine points clear

For the second game in succession Manchester City dropped points against a side fighting relegation.

The Blues have surrendered leads three times across those matches with Nottingham Forest and West Ham United. It has surely extinguished the title hopes. Arsenal are nine clear and although City have a game in hand and the Gunners have to come to the Etihad, the gap looks ominous and the Blues don’t quite look capable of reeling off victory after victory to capitalise if Mikel Arteta’s side do slip up.

City still have plenty to play for, even if glory in the Premier League and Champions League now looks set to elude them. The Blues are a week out from a Carabao Cup final that could yield silverware as well as offering a glimmer in the title race given the psychological questions a Wembley win would ask of Arsenal. Liverpool then visit in the FA Cup early next month. So plenty to still play for.

Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our City WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. You can also join our City Facebook page by clicking HERE and don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.

But for Guardiola, he must now accept that this City side is not quite yet capable of scaling the heights of versions past. The incredibly high standards set during four title wins in a row are a barometer few can be judged by and to measure this new-look City against such incredible feats is understandable but perhaps unfair.

The progress from last season is clear; twelve months ago City would have snapped your hand off for the position they are now in. The Blues boss said on Friday that if his side dropped points against the Hammers then the title race would be over. He rowed back on that after the game, reiterating his belief and the desire within the squad to fight to the end.

But Guardiola’s side are not consistent enough to go the distance on four fronts, they are not slick enough to put teams to bed, and they are not quite all on the same page on the pitch to play with a freedom and a confidence that the door will be battered down if the knocking continues.

Make no mistake this City side is a very good outfit – but it’s not the outfit of old. As Rodri said after the game at the London Stadium: “The mistake we can make is to think we are the unbelievable team that we used to be. We are in a moment that we are in a process to come back.”

City might yet come back against Madrid, they might yet come back in the title race, but both feel a step too far just now.

Buy Carabao Cup Final VIP tickets

Advertisement

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

From £1,399

Seat Unique

Buy tickets here

The Carabao Cup Final will see Arsenal v Manchester City at London’s Wembley Stadium this March.

A combination of blinkers and rapid reappearance has gifted Salty Pearl’s connections a major purse at Caulfield.

The Ciaron Maher operation was unconcerned about committing the filly to Saturday’s $500,000 VOBIS Platinum Guineas (1600m), mere days after she pursued Sass Appeal home in Flemington’s Stakes race.

Having aced a similar eight-day turnaround before, the Maher team delivered another standout performance.

John Allen guided the $2.05 elect, Salty Pearl, to a commanding 2-¾ length success ahead of $41 chance Silvasista, as Wetumpka ($61) trailed by an additional 1-½ lengths for third.

Jack Turnbull, the Maher stable’s National Assistant Trainer, credited the second-time blinkers for Salty Pearl’s smooth passage in the 1600m feature.

“She was always in control,” Turnbull said.

“The blinkers made her travel and she took John everywhere and when he asked her to poke into a hole at about the 450 (metres), she was there straight away.

That’s when you knew she was going to be there for a long way and in the straight they spanned wide and they were coming from everywhere, but her class shone through.

It’s the second time we’ve backed her up for a second victory.

We had to go back from the draw last start, and we thought her run was huge, but we were beaten by a classy filly.

She’s very consistent and building a fantastic record.”

Turnbull acknowledged the volume of starts Salty Pearl has notched in her three-year-old term to date.

Saturday’s race was start number 12, bringing win number three, with potential interstate targets on the table after she recuperates.

Nevertheless, extending beyond 1600m seems improbable, per Turnbull.

“You could have the Queen Of The Turf Stakes which would be the top of the tree otherwise if she was in the right frame of mind and physically OK, you could possibly look at a Carbine Club Stakes as well,” Turnbull said.

“We’re conscious of where we want to get to and what she has done, but it’s good options to have.

I think that’s her trip. Again, you could float the idea and try (a longer trip), but she’s very effective at this distance and I don’t think we need to change.”

Don’t miss out on competitive betting markets for the race similar to the VOBIS Platinum Guineas.

Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman came off the bench as Atlético Madrid secured a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Getafe CF in their La Liga match on Saturday.

Lookman started the game among the substitutes after playing an important role in Atlético’s impressive 5–2 win over Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the week in the UEFA Champions League. Head coach Diego Simeone decided to manage the Nigerian’s minutes with another big European match coming up.

Atlético took the lead early in the match when defender Nahuel Molina scored in the eighth minute with a powerful long-range strike that flew into the top corner.

Lookman was introduced in the second half and quickly became involved in the attack. One of his first actions was a smart pass inside the box to Julián Álvarez, but a Getafe defender cleared the ball off the goal line to prevent a second goal.

The Nigerian also had a chance of his own when he fired a shot from outside the box, but the effort went wide.

During his time on the pitch, Lookman completed 11 passes, with nine of them accurate. He also registered one shot and created a clear chance for his teammates.

Getafe were reduced to ten men in the 55th minute after defender Abdel Abqar was sent off following a VAR review for a foul on Alexander Sørloth.

Despite the numerical advantage, Atlético could not add another goal, but they held on to claim an important victory which marked their 17th league win of the season.

The result moves Atlético two points ahead of Villarreal CF in the table.

Lookman and his teammates will now turn their attention back to the Champions League, where they face Tottenham again in the second leg of their round-of-16 tie next week.

Match Details

Fixture: (2) Jannik Sinner vs (11) Daniil Medvedev

Date: March 15, 2026

Tournament: BNP Paribas Open 2026

Round: Final

Category: Masters 1000

Venue: Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Indian Wells, California, USA

Surface: Hard (outdoor)

Prize Money: $9,415,725

Live Telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Sky Sports | Canada – TSN, TVA Sports, DAZN

Jannik Sinner vs Daniil Medvedev preview

Second seed Jannik Sinner will face 11th seed Daniil Medvedev in the Indian Wells final. Whoever wins will be the first male singles champion from their respective countries at the Masters 1000 event.

Sinner has won 12 out of 14 matches so far this season, currently enjoying his first final run at a tournament in 2026. The Italian previously competed at the Australian Open and the Qatar Open, reaching the semifinals and quarterfinals, respectively. Sinner is yet to drop a set in Indian Wells, beating the likes of Dalibor Svrcina, Denis Shapovalov, Joao Fonseca, and Alexander Zverev en route to the final.

Apart from his fourth-round match against Fonseca that ended 7-6(6), 7-6(4), Sinner wasn’t really pushed in any of his other fixtures. The Italian has dropped 28 games so far in Indian Wells.

Medvedev’s win-loss record a day before last year’s Indian Wells final was 12-6. Fast forward a year, and the Russian has won 18 out of 21 matches so far in 2026 and is competing in the final of the Masters 1000 event. He has had an incredible start to the season and has already won two titles in Brisbane and Dubai.

Like Sinner, Medvedev is also yet to drop a single set in Indian Wells and has dropped just 25 games so far. The Russian reached the semifinals after defeating Alejandro Tabilo, Sebastian Baez, Alex Michelsen, and defending champion Jack Draper. Here, he beat Carlos Alcaraz for the first time since the 2023 US Open to reach his third Indian Wells final.

Jannik Sinner vs Daniil Medvedev head-to-head

Sinner had a narrow 8-7 head-to-head lead between the two, winning eight of their last nine fixtures. Their most recent encounter came in the round robin of the 2024 ATP Finals, with the Italian winning 6-3, 6-4.

Jannik Sinner vs Daniil Medvedev odds

All odds sourced from BETMGM.

Jannik Sinner vs Daniil Medvedev prediction

Sinner will enter the match as the favorite to win but Medvedev will be high on confidence after defeating Alcaraz, and there is a very good chance of him giving the Italian a run for his money.

Sinner has won 136 out of 162 points (~83.9%) on his first serve so far in Indian Wells, serving 41 aces. The Italian has amassed 110 winners compared to just 32 unforced errors, and has won 33 out of 39 points (~84.6%) at the net. Sinner’s enormous amount of success over the past couple of years has been attributed to his tennis as well as his mentality, so Medvedev will have to be at his best.

The Russian’s first-serve numbers in Indian Wells have been decent but not as good as Sinner’s, winning 132 out of 174 points (~75.9%) and amassing 28 aces. He has produced 90 winners and 88 unforced errors while winning 22 out of 28 (~78.6%) points at the net.

Medvedev’s style has always centered around efficiency, and that is probably what his plans will be in the final. That said, he has to be careful not to serve too many unforced errors.

While Medvedev is in impressive form. Sinner’s composure seems tough to break, and the Italian should manage to come out on top and become only the second Indian Wells singles champion from his country, the first being Flavia Pennetta.

Pick: Sinner to win in three sets.

Jannik Sinner vs Daniil Medvedev betting tips

Tip 1: Both players to serve over ten aces each.

Tip 2: Two sets to go to tiebreaks.