Manchester United news is coming in thick and fast with Michael Carrick expected to be confirmed as the next permanent manager

Michael Carrick is already receiving transfer propositions following reports that Manchester United have agreed to appoint the interim head coach as Ruben Amorim’s permanent replacement.

United are said to be presenting Carrick with a two-year deal, with the option to extend it by a further 12 months. After making a permanent appointment, focus will shift towards this summer’s transfer window.

Securing Champions League qualification gives the club a chance to reshape their squad before next season, with a midfield overhaul on the cards. MEN Sport examines some of the most significant stories surrounding United.

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.

Bargain first signing

Benfica would reportedly be willing to sell United target Richard Rios for just £26 million this summer, according to A Bola. They are said to be considering a major sale, with Andreas Schjelderup and Vangelis Pavlidis also amongst potential departures.

A rebuild is necessary following a disappointing domestic campaign, in which the team finished considerably behind champions Porto after drawing too many fixtures. Consequently, they will reportedly be prepared to part with Rios for just £26million, a sum that falls well short of the Colombia international’s £87million release clause.

United are amongst several clubs linked with a move ahead of the summer. With the club targeting multiple midfield additions, securing Rios at a discounted price could allow them to meet Elliot Anderson’s valuation.

Securing the Colombian as their first summer signing could also prove advantageous with the World Cup on the horizon. Completing any transfer before the tournament gets underway would help United avoid any inflated price tag driven by his performances in North America.

Napoli are said to be among those competing with United for his signature, and they are due to pay United £38million for Rasmus Hojlund this summer. This sum would effectively cover the cost of any potential deal for Rios.

Rashford risks unwritten rule break

Marcus Rashford could find himself making a sensational switch from Barcelona to Real Madrid this summer, according to the Independent. The publication cites sources close to the matter, reporting that the Spanish club’s prospective new head coach, Jose Mourinho, is eyeing a move for the forward.

With Barcelona yet to activate their £26million option to sign the England international permanently, there could be a window of opportunity for Madrid to swoop. Mourinho is said to retain a strong rapport with Rashford, dating back to their time together at United when the Portuguese replaced Louis van Gaal.

Any such transfer, however, would be deeply contentious. It is virtually unheard of for a player to represent both clubs, let alone move between them within a single summer. Luis Figo remains the most notorious example, while Luis Milla also made the same crossing before the Portuguese – much like Rashford – after just one season at Barcelona.

Michael Laudrup is another case in point, though he managed only a single season at Madrid after his switch, while Luis Enrique made the reverse journey during the 1990s. Rashford would become the first senior player to tread that path since Javier Saviola. The Argentine departed Barcelona for Spain’s capital, but, like Laudrup, moved on after just 12 months.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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

Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

Manchester City beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday but now turn their attention to Bournemouth in the Premier League

Manchester City claimed their eighth FA Cup on Saturday and immediately turned their focus to Bournemouth.

The Blues made it a domestic cup double by beating Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley thanks to Antoine Semenyo’s superb backheeled flick.

But the hectic schedule of the final week of a campaign that could yet end with a Premier League title means there is no time to bask in the cup glory. City are two points behind Arsenal with two games to go and head to the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday. That fixture has the full focus of Blues and here are three reasons why.

Click here to find out the latest Manchester City news in our daily newsletter

Rest and recover

City face a familiar gripe now as they prepare for a game with Bournemouth on the back of an FA Cup final.

12 months ago City played an FA Cup final at Wembley and Bournemouth the following Tuesday. Guardiola was unhappy at the scheduling then and he is again now. A year ago the Bournemouth game was at the Etihad, the concern for City this time around is another long journey and such a condensed fixture list in the final week of the campaign. The club offered alternatives to the Premier League, including a Thursday night, but those pleas fell on deaf ears.

City flew back from Wembley straight after the game and will have a recovery day on Sunday before flying down to Bournemouth on Monday afternoon. There’s no time for training and the message from Guardiola to his squad is rest and recover.

Andoni Iraola’s side were beaten 3-1 last season. City would love a repeat outcome.

Selection hint

Guardiola sprung a huge surprise with his team selection as Rodri was handed his first start since coming off injured in the win over Arsenal last month. The Spaniard had barely trained ahead of the Wembley final and will surely not start when City face Bournemouth on Tuesday night having lasted a little over an hour against Chelsea.

Gianluigi Donnarumma was among the subs at Wembley and will return, while the quick turnaround might also see the likes of Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki in the XI against the Cherries, particularly after the latter influenced the final.

Guardiola may well take into account Arsenal’s result against Burnley on Monday night before settling on an XI but Tijjani Reijnders and Savinho will also be eyeing starts.

Momentum

It might not count for much given there’s nothing City can do to win the title unless they get a favour from Burnley or Crystal Palace, but as things stand the Blues have taken the two trophies on offer so far this term.

Arsenal can match that haul and trump it on pecking order should they complete a Champions League and Premier League double, but Mikel Arteta’s side will be under no illusions that any slip and City are poised and ready.

The Blues have also captured two trophies in what could be argued is a transitional season, given the troubles of last term and the influx of new players over the last three windows.

The new breed of City, the future spine that will shape the club for the next five to 10 years, has got that winning feeling. Abdukodir Khusanov, Marc Guehi, Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki now know what it takes to win silverware and win big games. It might be too late for this year, but it bodes well for next.

Pregnancy is often regarded as a time to prepare the nursery, but it is also a useful moment to get the kitchen ready.

For many expectant parents, the months before a baby arrives are filled with practical jobs: buying clothes, assembling a cot, choosing a pram, packing a hospital bag. Yet one of the most important forms of preparation happens somewhere less photogenic: in the cupboards, the fridge and the daily routines of the home.

Research Peles and colleagues conducted suggests that pregnancy can be a powerful moment for change. During pregnancy, food becomes about more than personal preference. It is bound up with the health of the developing baby, the wellbeing of the mother, and the kind of family life parents hope to create.

The idea of nutritional nesting is useful here. It describes how first-time parents begin shaping the home food environment during pregnancy. It means the food world a baby will eventually be born into: what is bought, what is visible, what is easy to reach, what gets cooked, what is eaten together, and what becomes normal.

Healthy habits begin before a baby first tastes puree or sits in a high chair. They begin in the rhythms and environment parents establish before birth. Vegetables in the fridge may technically be available, but they are unlikely to be chosen by exhausted parents looking for something quick. Fruit on the counter, chopped vegetables ready to use, batch-cooked meals in the freezer and simple ingredients within reach make healthier eating easier when energy is low.

The distinction between availability and accessibility matters. Availability means the food is present in the home. Accessibility means it is easy to see, easy to reach and easy to eat. Research on the home food environment suggests that what is available at home, what parents eat themselves, and family eating routines all play a role in the overall healthiness and variety of children’s diets. Shloim describes this as healthy mealtime interactions, accounting for what and how the family eats.

Kitchens are shaped by more than mothers alone. Pregnancy can be an especially useful time to think about food because many parents, including fathers and partners, are already imagining the family they want to become. Peles’ work with first-time expectant fathers suggests that men often see pregnancy as a turning point: a chance to take more responsibility, support their partner, and help create a healthier home. Good intentions, though, do not chop vegetables, plan meals or fill a freezer. Fathers and partners may need practical support to turn motivation into everyday action.

Nutrition support during pregnancy should involve the household, not only the pregnant mother. The home food environment is usually shaped by more than one person. Partners influence shopping, cooking, budgeting, snacking and the emotional tone around food. Treating food preparation as a shared parental responsibility, rather than another task added to the mother’s mental load, makes it more realistic and fair.

The point is to make nutrition advice more useful, rather than more judgmental. Lists of foods to eat or avoid have their place, but they rarely solve the daily problem of what tired people can afford, cook and face eating. Families also need help with the basics: planning meals, preparing quick options, shopping on a budget and making nutritious food convenient before the sleep deprivation of early parenthood begins.

For many parents, the second trimester may be a useful period for this kind of preparation. For some women, though not all, the nausea and exhaustion of early pregnancy may have eased, while the physical demands of late pregnancy have not yet fully arrived. That can make it a more realistic time to ask: what will make daily eating easier when life gets harder?

The answer does not have to be complicated. Parents might reorganise the fridge so healthier foods are visible, learn a few reliable recipes that can be cooked quickly, prepare snacks that do not depend on willpower at 3pm, or decide together how meals will work when the baby arrives. These small changes are not glamorous, but they reduce the number of decisions tired parents have to make.

Early family food culture is about nutrients, but it is also about relationships. Children learn from what is served and from how meals feel.

Shloim suggests that a calm, responsive feeding relationship means paying attention to a child’s hunger and fullness cues, offering food without pressure, and making mealtimes feel safe rather than stressful. Evidence suggests that these early interactions can support children’s ability to regulate their own eating. They also support overall positive interactions.

Early-life conditions, including the period before birth, can influence health later in life. A child’s future is not fixed before birth, but early environments matter, and supporting families before and during pregnancy can be a practical way to improve long-term health.

Expectant parents do not need a perfect diet or a perfect kitchen. Nutritional nesting is about making ordinary healthy choices more visible, more convenient and more shared. Its value is practical: reducing friction before the exhausting early months begin.

The nursery matters. But the kitchen may be where some of the most important family interactions begins.

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the Ebola disease outbreak in Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday after more than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths.

In a post on X, the World Health Organization said the outbreak does not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic, and advised against the closure of international borders.

Health authorities have confirmed the current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare variant of the Ebola disease that has no approved therapeutics or vaccines. Although more than 20 Ebola outbreaks have taken place in Congo and Uganda, this is only the third time the Bundibugyo virus has been reported.

Officials first reported the spread of the disease in Congo’s eastern province of Ituri, close to Uganda and South Sudan, on Friday. On Saturday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported 336 suspected cases and 87 deaths.

Congo accounts for all except two of the cases, both of which were reported in neighboring Uganda, the WHO said.

Uganda on Saturday confirmed one case it said was imported from Congo, and said the patient died at a hospital in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, and the WHO said that a second case has been reported in Kampala. The two cases had no apparent links to each other and both patients had traveled from Congo, it added.

The Bundibugyo virus was first detected in Uganda’s Bundibugyo district during a 2007-2008 outbreak that infected 149 people and killed 37 people. The second time was in 2012 in an outbreak in Isiro, Congo, where 57 cases and 29 deaths were reported.

“By standing for first minister, I want to show how Scottish Liberal Democrats envisage that change.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has confirmed he will be running for first minister when MSPs vote on who should have the top job next week.

SNP leader John Swinney – who currently holds the post – is certain to be re-elected as his party is the largest in the Scottish Parliament. Mr Cole-Hamilton said it “would be an insult to democracy” if Tuesday’s vote is taken as “some kind of done deal”.

He said the ballot is a “key part of our parliamentary democracy”, as well as being the chance for him to “make the case for a liberal vision of Scotland”. Mr Cole-Hamilton said he will put himself forward to be first minister after “phenomenal” results for his party in the Holyrood election.

The Liberal Democrats increased their tally of MSPs from four in 2026 to 10, claiming victories in the Strathkelvin and Bearsden and Edinburgh Northern constituencies as well as ousting the SNP in Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, and Caithness, Sutherland and Ross.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said: “I understand that the outcome of this election has been decided, but no party has won a majority.

“If our democracy is about anything, it is about the exchange of ideas for what our country can become. By standing for first minister, I want to show how Scottish Liberal Democrats envisage that change.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats want a government that is focused every single day on fixing the NHS, on addressing the cost-of-living crisis, on getting Scottish education back to its best.

“We want a government that respects the needs of people in every corner of this country, that will end the ferries chaos, upgrade dangerous roads and get Scotland moving again.”

Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE

The artificial intelligence boom is leading to fights in some states over growing utility profits, as governors, attorneys general and others protesting rising electricity bills say cash-strapped residents are stuck in a broken system.

Officials and lawmakers in at least six states — including Arizona, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania — are going to new lengths to try to block rate increases proposed by utilities. Some are pressing utilities to completely change their model for financing major system upgrades.

The push comes during a midterm election year in which affordability is the leading theme in Democrats’ attempts to loosen Republicans‘ control of Washington.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat who is seeking reelection this year, is challenging two utility rate increase requests in front of the state’s utility regulatory board.

“I felt like it’s never been more important to stand up against the blatant corporate greed of our monopoly utilities in Arizona,” Mayes said in an interview.

The fights are getting noticed on Wall Street

The voracious energy demands of AI data centers have driven up electric prices in some regions and launched a moneymaking energy-sector construction boom.

For years, consumer advocates have tried to challenge the size of a utility’s investment return in front of regulators. But maybe not like this, consumer advocates say.

“We’ve entered into this era of expensive energy and (demand) growth, and we’re seeing utility profits at record highs and rising utility bills,” said Matt Kasper of the Energy and Policy Institute, which pushes utilities to keep rates low and use renewable energy sources.

Utilities were long viewed as a stable haven for investors, with a reliable source of income and predictable demand. Because of that lower risk, the utility’s sector investment returns are typically on the low end compared to other sectors, analysts say.

However, utilities — many of which are owned by multibillion-dollar, for-profit parent companies — have seen share prices perform particularly well during the data center expansion.

The investment returns that utilities get from regulators aren’t the sole reason consumers’ bills are rising, but researchers suggest they are a contributing factor. In March, the Energy and Policy Institute issued a report that said the profits of 110 for-profit utilities rose from just under $39 billion in 2021 to over $52 billion in 2024.

Mark Ellis, a former utility executive-turned-consumer advocate, said about 10% of the typical customer bill is what he called a for-profit utility’s “excess profit,” above what might be considered reasonable under long-standing Supreme Court precedent.

Instead of regulators setting returns above what the market might require, utilities should instead shop for the lowest-cost investor cash, much like someone might shop for the lowest interest rate on a loan, Ellis said.

Paul Ferraro, an economics professor at Johns Hopkins University, said that targeting utility investment returns is a political action, not an economic action.

“That’s an action that’s aiming to address the deep social disagreements we have about who should benefit from essential infrastructure,” Ferraro said. “But it’s not going to address the key challenges that the electricity sector is facing.”

That includes investment in modernization, expansion, renewable energies and distributed sources of power, Ferraro said.

‘Affordability’ has reached corporate earnings calls

Travis Miller, an energy and utilities analyst for Morningstar, said utility executives on earnings calls are emphasizing efforts to cut costs or protect residential customers from the cost to supply electricity to data centers.

“Affordability is probably the number one issue that executives and investors are thinking about right now in the utility sector,” Miller said.

If rates aren’t affordable currently, there’s no way that utilities can get the rate increases they need to boost earnings and dividends for investors, Miller said.

Utilities point to federal data showing that home electricity bills as a proportion of household income have fallen in the past couple decades. They defend the investment returns they are granted by state regulators as critical to raising the cash they need to appropriately maintain electric grids and ensure reliability for millions of people.

They also warn that investors will simply send their cash to utilities in other states that promise higher returns.

Critics call that fearmongering.

Earlier this month, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities launched what its president, Christine Guhl Sadovy, called one of the most consequential regulatory reviews in a generation, to question how utilities “should earn revenue in a modern energy system.”

In recent weeks, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro pressured PECO, the Philadelphia-area utility subsidiary of Exelon Corp., to withdraw a 12.5% rate increase, or $20 per month extra for the average residential customer. Shapiro, a Democrat running for reelection this year, then issued a letter to utility executives, taking a whack at utility profits and saying that the “20th century utility model is broken.”

“We can no longer simply prioritize corporate profitability to drive infrastructure development,” Shapiro wrote.

In a note to investors, one analyst called it “Quaker State Sticker Shock,” and the share prices of companies that own Pennsylvania-based utilities lagged their peers in the following days.

For its part, Exelon — the Chicago-based parent of Commonwealth Edison, PECO, Baltimore Gas and Electric and several other utilities — emphasized that it recognizes the importance of affordability.

Calvin Butler, Exelon’s president and CEO, told analysts on its first-quarter earnings call May 6 that it was committed to justifying what it spends and keeping energy bills as low as possible. Its decision to withdraw its rate increase request came after conversations with “stakeholders” who said, “Hey, if you could partner with us to address the affordability issue and lean in, timing is not the best right now,” Butler said.

In Indiana, Republican Gov. Mike Braun appointed a new slate of utility commissioners with a mission to face down rate increases.

Their first big test is a request by AES Indiana for a 10.1% increase, or $193 million a year more from ratepayers, said Ben Inskeep, program director for the Indianapolis-based consumer advocate Citizens Action Coalition.

As part of it, AES Indiana — whose parent company is being taken private in a $33.4 billion deal led by private investment giant BlackRock — sought a 10.7% return on its cash.

Inskeep said an 8% return — instead of 10.7% — would slash the proposed rate increase nearly in half.

In Arizona, Mayes is challenging a pair of 14% proposed increases that she said could be dramatically reduced if the companies are simply paid the cost to maintain reliable service.

“It’s becoming unbearable for the people in Arizona,” Mayes said. “And I think we have to fight back.”

___

Follow Marc Levy at http://twitter.com/timelywriter

Robert McGregor filmed himself raping three boys, aged three, six and 12, then shared the videos with other paedophiles online.

The family of a child rape victim say they fear the attacker could be freed back to their community on release from prison this month.

Robert McGregor filmed himself raping three boys, aged three, six and 12, then shared the videos with other paedophiles online. The delivery driver from ­Inverness was jailed for 10 years in April 2017.

The family of one victim was notified by letter last week from the Scottish Prison Service, telling them that the 45-year-old is due to be released on May 29.

They are terrified of coming face to face with their son’s attacker as authorities would not confirm if McGregor will be allowed to return to their home town.

The mum said: “In November he was denied parole and the letter from the board stated he would be released in April 2027 so we thought we had a year. It turns out there was an error in the paperwork because they hadn’t taken into consideration his time on remand.

“So when that letter dropped on the doormat saying he will be released in weeks, I collapsed. No sentence is going be enough for what he did but we’ve been fighting to keep him inside through parole hearings. We are living in fear that any of our family could come face to face with him at any time.”

The letter confirming McGregor’s release failed to mention that the paedophile was ordered to be supervised for five years upon release. The family have since received an apology.

The mum said: “We went the police station, we waited for hours.

“There’s been no support. The justice system is failing people. We are living a nightmare. He raped and sold videos of innocent children all over the world. He is pure evil. I’ve no doubt he is still a danger.”

The Sunday Mail previously told how the family’s online petition calling for McGregor to be denied release when he applied for parole in 2021 won 3500 signatures.

McGregor abused children in the Highlands for 13 years, starting in 2001. He duped families into trusting him, took the boys on trips or to his home, then raped them.

Scottish Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: “It is appalling that the family appear to have been the victim of an admin error and are also being kept in the dark about where this dangerous criminal will be when he is released soon.”

The SPS acknowledged the ­family’s concerns, adding: “We would encourage anyone in this situation to contact organisations such as Victim Support Scotland.” The Parole Board for Scotland does not comment on individual cases.

Police Scotland said it and other agencies “use professional assessment, robust risk assessment processes, and the latest technologies to manage registered sex offenders, mitigate risk and properly target appropriate resources”.

Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE

Manchester United midfielder Casemiro will play his final game at Old Trafford for the Reds this afternoon.

Manchester United will play their final match of the season at Old Trafford this afternoon when they host Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. After last season’s disappointment, there will be a feel good feeling inside the stadium as the Reds gear up for a return to the Champions League next year.

Forest are safe and may choose to make changes ahead of their final match of the season at the City Ground next week. However, United should go for a strong starting line-up. Senne Lammens is guaranteed to start in goal.

Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw have solidified themselves as the starting full-backs this season. Shaw’s fitness has been particularly pleasing considering his injury issues over recent campaigns. He is just two starts away from starting every Premier League match for United this season.

Click here to find out the latest Manchester United news in our daily newsletter

Carrick has favoured Harry Maguire since returning and there is little evidence to suggest he will deviate from that stance. Partnering him could be Leny Yoro or Ayden Heaven but the most likely choice will be Lisandro Martinez.

The midfield two pick themselves. Casemiro is fit and Carrick will not deny him a start on his final Old Trafford appearance. Partnering him will be Kobbie Mainoo who has played so well in 2026 he has been nominated for the Premier League’s Young Player of the Year award.

In front of them will be Bruno Fernandes. The captain has been superb this season and without him this would have been a very different season.

Benjamin Sesko’s injury means the three attackers pick themselves. Bryan Mbeumo will lead the line, albeit Matheus Cunha is an option for that role.

Amad will begin on the right flank. He has hit a difficult patch of form and desperately needs a goal.

United’s predicted XI vs Forest: Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Amad, Fernandes, Cunha; Mbeumo