Marcus Rashford was expected to join Barcelona on a permanent basis this summer but has been handed a potential route back to parent club Manchester United

Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen believes Michael Carrick’s permanent appointment can be excellent news for Marcus Rashford. Despite it appearing certain the forward would move to Barcelona this summer, it now seems a return could very much be a possibility in the coming months.

Rashford, 28, has completed his season-long loan at the Camp Nou following his final outing of the campaign on Saturday. It concluded on a disappointing note, however, after Rashford struggled to influence proceedings in a surprise 3-1 loss at Valencia.

All signs appeared to suggest Barca would meet the necessary £26million fee to secure Rashford permanently this summer – and they may yet do so. Nevertheless, Meulensteen, who won numerous Premier League titles on Sir Alex Ferguson‘s staff, has floated the possibility of his return to Old Trafford now former team-mate Carrick has been installed as manager on a permanent basis.

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“There is a route back for Marcus Rashford because Michael Carrick knows him,” the Dutchman told BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest football betting. “I think there is a really important conversation to be had, no two ways about it.

“Marcus has grown up as a little kid from Manchester. He’s Manchester United through and through. And for whatever reason, something has made him make the decision to move away.”

“Maybe it has been good for him to move away for a while, just to have a look at it and look back at Manchester United from the outside in. Because it will also have given him the opportunity to realise how much Man United actually means to him.”

“Because he knows Michael and Michael knows him, I think it’s definitely a good conversation that they should have. And then obviously, it all depends on what exactly the expectations are from both parties.”

It seemed as though Rashford’s bond with the club had deteriorated under previous regimes. Erik ten Hag was still in charge in January 2024 when the forward reportedly missed a training session following a night out in Belfast.

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He subsequently struggled to win over Ten Hag’s successor, Ruben Amorim. That much became evident after the United academy graduate was dispatched on loan twice by the Portuguese boss.

Initially, Rashford moved to Aston Villa for the second half of the 2024/25 season. He was then loaned to Barcelona for a year-long spell last summer.

Carrick, who shared the pitch with Rashford before hanging up his boots, has since assumed control of his former club. After reviving the fortunes of several players at Old Trafford, returning Rashford to his peak form in red would represent another feather in his cap.

Having struggled to build rapport with certain managers previously, it’s easy to imagine how Carrick might offer the familiar presence he’s been craving. Nevertheless, the decision rests entirely with Barcelona as to whether they activate the £26m clause in his contract and eliminate any chance of a reunion.

Jannik Sinner and Coco Gauff took full advantage of their final practice sessions at Roland Garros, fitting in some last-minute prep before the main draw action began.

With play now underway in Paris, both are sure to be at the centre of attention throughout the tournament.

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Sinner, who comes in as the top seed, is aiming to complete a Career Grand Slam. Gauff returns to Paris as defending champion, looking to add another title to her record.

On Saturday, both took part in official Roland Garros practice sets, which included umpires and a scoreboard, giving players a closer feel for match conditions ahead of their opening rounds.

Both players take victories in the final practice matches

Sinner went up against Alexander Blockx, who is coming off a semi-final run in Madrid, and came out on top 6-2.

Gauff also picked up a win, defeating Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah of France 6-3 in her session.

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They weren’t the only notable names putting in work before the tournament began. Several other high-profile players also took part in practice matches ahead of the clay-court Grand Slam.

Elina Svitolina edged out Jessica Pegula 6-4, while Elena Rybakina matched that scoreline against Sorana Cirstea. Taylor Fritz also looked sharp, beating Miomir Kecmanovic 6-1.

Sinner then turned his attention to Rafael Nadal, with whom he partnered for a relaxed hit on Court Philippe Chatrier. That session drew plenty of attention from fans and media alike as the pair enjoyed some final touches before competition began.

Roland Garros sets opening week attendance record

The scorelines from those practice sets didn’t mean much, but the sessions were a useful tune-up for everyone involved, regardless of the results.

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Players picked up on areas they’ll want to work on, and the competitive edge of those practice matches should help them settle in once their real campaigns begin.

Meanwhile, there was good news for organisers even before play got started in Paris.

Attendance numbers set a new mark for Opening Week, with 138,000 fans making their way through the gates over six days. It’s a welcome boost at a time when discussions around prize money have become more prominent among players.

Aryna Sabalenka was among those speaking out. The WTA number one walked out of her opening press conference in protest over Roland Garros’ current revenue share of 15% going towards prize money.

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Emma Raducanu suffered her first opening-round loss at the French Open with an error-strewn display against Argentina’s Solana Sierra.

The British number one opted to return to action for the final couple of weeks of the clay season following two-and-a-half months out with a post-viral illness instead of concentrating on grass but it has not paid off.

She took positives from a narrow loss to Diane Parry in Strasbourg earlier this week, and she at least improved in the second set at a sun-baked Roland Garros before falling to a 6-0 7-6 (4) defeat.

It is only Raducanu’s third time playing in the tournament but this was the first occasion she has failed to make it to the second round.

The first set was a horror show, with Raducanu spraying the ball to all parts of the small court 13 and losing it to love in just 25 minutes.

A tally of no winners and 15 unforced errors told its own story, with Raducanu’s US Open-winning coach Andrew Richardson, with whom she reunited earlier this week, unable to inspire the same sort of magic.

Sierra is a very capable player on clay in particular but is ranked only 68, well below Raducanu’s mark of 39, and is playing in just her sixth grand slam event.

Raducanu looked like she could be heading for one of the worst defeats of her career when she trailed 4-1 in the second set but she began to find a foothold in the match, elongating the rallies and drawing errors from her opponent.

After pulling it back to 4-3, Raducanu bent double at the change of ends and coughed into her towel – a legacy of the illness that first affected her in early February and which she has still not quite shaken off.

But she showed grit to pull level at 5-5 and then break the Sierra serve when she served for the match to force a tie-break.

Sierra raced into a 5-1 lead, though, and this time Raducanu could not pull it back, with her final tally of 42 unforced errors simply far too many.

The 23-year-old will now hope she can stay healthy and find her groove on the grass, where she has normally played well.

Wyndham Clark carded an 11-under par final round of 60 to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson by three shots and finish 30 under par.

The American becomes just the 10th man to finish a four-round tournament 30 under or better since 1983.

Clark, who had carded rounds of 66, 63 and 65, scored an eagle and nine birdies to overtake overnight leader Si Woo Kim.

The 32-year-old’s approach shot to the 18th left him with a two-and-a-half foot putt for a three, and he sank his attempt for a fourth PGA Tour title and a score of 254.

South Korean Kim, who went round the par-71 course in 60 on Friday, only managed a 65 to drop to second on 27 under, with world number one and defending champion Scottie Scheffler two shots behind in third in Texas.

Clark, the 2023 US Open champion, last won on the PGA Tour in February 2024, at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Head coach Rudy Hernandez has recalled the exact moment that Junto Nakatani revealed the level of power he experienced from Naoya Inoue’s punches.

The two Japanese stars squared off in an eagerly-awaited showdown earlier this month, which took place at a sold-out Tokyo Dome in front of roughly 55,000 fans.

As a sizable favourite, many expected Inoue to retain his undisputed super-bantamweight crown, yet his sheer dominance in the early rounds nonetheless came as a surprise to most.

In the end, ‘The Monster’ claimed a clear unanimous decision victory, but was forced to overcome a Nakatani onslaught between rounds seven and 10.

At this point, ‘Big Bang’ suddenly sprang to life after taking a far more measured approach in the previous rounds, appearing to no longer respect the power of his opponent.

According to his trainer, Hernandez, this was a pivotal moment which, if only it had arrived sooner, may have been enough to pinch a razor-thin victory on points.

In any case, the experienced coach has told BoxingScene what Nakatani thought of Inoue’s power, whilst believing that a potential rematch with Inoue would surely go their way, so confident in Nakatani’s ability that he has promised to retire if he is proven wrong.

“If we don’t beat [Inoue] in the rematch, I will never train fighters again. I will retire. I will quit, because I really believe in the rematch we are going to kick Inoue’s butt.

“The moment Junto told me that [Inoue] doesn’t hit that hard, that was a game-changer. I wish he had told me that in the second or third round.”

Hernandez adds that, irrespective of their prior head collision, an Inoue uppercut in round 11 was what ultimately broke Nakatani’s orbital bone.

From there, the three-weight world champion was fighting an uphill battle to even complete the full 12 rounds, let alone pull off a sizable upset.

Nuno Espirito Santo apologised to West Ham fans after relegation was confirmed but refused to commit to staying as manager or comment on the future of their high-profile players.

The Hammers needed a victory against Leeds and for Tottenham to lose at home to Everton to stay up and send Spurs down instead.

They kept their side of the bargain as second-half goals from Taty Castellanos, Jarrod Bowen and Callum Wilson sank Leeds 3-0.

But Spurs, who had not won at home in the league this year, beat Everton to survive by two points.

“It’s a moment of deep sadness for all of us at the club,” said Nuno. “It was a tough day, we had a tough mission, we lost the privilege of deciding our own future.

“If you ask me now about the past and the future, I don’t think it’s the best days to understand the moment of sadness of our fans, of ourselves, of the club, and apologise and thank them for all of the support they gave us.

“It was a strange season in terms of points, normally 39 I think in the last 10 years or so has given the teams enough to keep safe. We improved, but it’s not enough.”

So ends West Ham’s 14-year stay in the top flight, with relegation coming a decade after the controversial move to the London Stadium and the hollow promises from the owners that came with it.

Their brief revival under Nuno, who replaced Graham Potter as manager in September, began too late and fizzled out too early.

“We sold our soul, for this ****hole” rang around the former Olympic Stadium as fans turned their anger towards chairman David Sullivan.

The Leeds fans were in no mood to be sympathetic, chanting “Millwall away ole ole”, a fixture which could keep the Metropolitan Police busy next season.

West Ham released a statement after the game, calling relegation “a sad and painful moment” after “an extremely difficult and disappointing season”.

The statement added: “We must now face the consequences of that failure with honesty, transparency and a determination to repair, refocus and rebuild.

“As we have done before, we will fight with everything we have to return to the top division of English football at the first time of asking. The hard work to make that goal a reality begins immediately.”

Hammers captain Bowen did not rule out staying to help West Ham get out of the Championship next season.

However, the likely fire sale at the club to make ends meet and the fee he and players like Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville would command means that is probably not going to be his decision to make.

“I’m under contract here,” Bowen told Sky Sports. “There’s going to be rumours, there’s going to be talk, but ultimately what I see is getting this club back in the Premier League.

“I’ve had some really good moments here. This is a really hard moment. You never know what the future holds, but I want to see this club back in the Premier League and right now my vision is to get this club back in the Premier League.”

Leeds had long since secured their survival with room to spare, and boss Daniel Farke said: “Commiserations to West Ham.

“It’s always a sad day when a club with so many years in the top flight goes down. It was a strange atmosphere in the stadium and you could feel it today.

“We were not at our best. But we’ve played a fantastic season as a promoted side. To finish 14th on 47 points is massive, especially given how difficult it was for promoted sides last season.”

Rangers International were crowned champions of the Nigeria Premier Football League after a hard-fought 2-1 win against Ikorodu City in a tense final-day clash in Lagos.

The Flying Antelopes ended the 2025/2026 season with 68 points, winning a record-equalling ninth league title to draw level with Enyimba International as the most successful club in NPFL history.

Rangers started the game strongly and created the first chance through Kelvin Briggs, whose flicked header from a long ball went over the crossbar.

The match struggled to settle in the early stages, with both sides finding it difficult to create clear opportunities.

Rangers believed they had taken the lead midway through the first half when Daniel Itodo’s long throw caused confusion inside the Ikorodu City penalty area, but the referee ruled the goal out.

The breakthrough finally came in the 31st minute after Ikorodu City lost possession close to their box. Rangers captain Obinna Nwobodo drove forward before calmly firing past goalkeeper Derrick July to give the visitors the lead.

Ikorodu City tried to respond quickly, but Rangers continued to press aggressively. Defender Chidozie Iwundu attempted a long-range effort, but it failed to trouble the goalkeeper.

Itodo remained Rangers’ biggest attacking threat throughout the game with his dangerous long throws.

One of his deliveries won a corner before another effort found Itodo himself, but his header drifted wide.

The hosts also threatened from set-pieces, with captain Folarin Temitope sending an effort over the bar after a loose ball fell kindly for him.

Rangers nearly doubled their lead before half-time when another long throw from Itodo found league top scorer Godwin Obaje, but his flick rolled narrowly wide.

The visitors eventually got their second goal shortly after the break. Wisdom Ebirim’s shot was pushed into the path of Nwobodo, who reacted quickest to score from close range.

Ikorodu City pulled one back through Moses Bada after goalkeeper Lucky Jimoh parried Temitope’s cross into the striker’s path for a simple finish, setting up a nervous ending at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena.

Rangers continued searching for another goal, but Waheed Adebayo missed a good chance inside the box after a knockdown from Ebirim.

Iwundu also tested the hosts again with another ambitious strike from distance as Rangers battled to protect their lead in the closing minutes.

The final whistle sparked wild celebrations among Rangers supporters as the club secured its second league title in three seasons under General Manager Barrister Amobi Ezeaku and Technical Adviser Fidelis Ilechukwu.

Last week, golf’s best battled “dicey” pin locations and treacherous greens at the PGA Championship at Aronimink. This week was a little different.

The CJ Cup Byron Nelson introduced players to the newly renovated TPC Craig Ranch, and the world’s best promptly tore it apart. Jordan Spieth shot a 62 in the second round and his playing partner Sungjae Im carded a 61.

“I was hurting my head trying to figure out what our best ball was,” Spieth said after he and Im finished on Friday. “I think it was 57, which is pretty good.”

That afternoon, Si Woo Kim flirted with a 59, but settled for a (somewhat disappointing) 60 to take a five-shot lead into the weekend.

“I hit it great and putted great,” Kim said of his second-round 60. “So everything was perfect, other than the last hole. I’ll still take it. 60 is hard, but I was a little bit of thinking about the 59 after I [made birdie on] 17. It was a little bit of like adrenaline. … I’ll still take 60.”

Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark trimmed Kim’s lead to two entering Sunday, setting up a final round that promised more drama than Scheffler’s runaway win at last year’s edition.

It was a final round that Clark took control with a blistering hot putter.

The 2023 U.S. Open champion went out in 4-under 32 to stay within arm’s reach of Kim. Then, Clark stuffed it to six feet on No. 11 for birdie and poured in a 15-foot eagle putt on 12 to take the outright lead. He made an easy birdie at the short par-4 14th and then rolled in a 45-foot birdie putt on 15 to stay one ahead of Kim. A birdie at the par-3 17th gave him a two-shot lead, and then Clark stuffed it to kick-in range on the 18th hole to shoot a final-round 60 — including a back-nine 28 — to claim his first title since the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am.

Here is the complete payout breakdown for this week’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson played at TPC Craig Ranch. The total purse is is $10.3 million, with the Clark taking home $1.854 million.

How much every player made at the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson  

Win: Wyndham Clark, $1,854,000

2. Si Woo Kim, $1,122,000

3. Scottie Scheffler, $710,700

4. Jackson Suber, $504,700

5. Keith Mitchell, $422,300

T6. Tony Finau, $347,625
Tom Hoge, $347,625
Zach Bauchou, $347,625

T9. Johnny Keefer, $260,075
Jesper Svensson, $260,075
Max Greyserman, $260,075
Sungjae Im, $260,075
Stephan Jaeger, $260,075

T14. Brooks Koepka, $187,975
Blades Brown, $187,975
Taylor Moore, $187,975

17. Ben Silverman, $167,375

18. SY Noh, $157,075

T19. Jordan Spieth, $100,593
Erik van Rooyen, $100,593
Steven Fisk, $100,593
Kensei Hirata, $100,593
Ryo Hisatsune, $100,593
Rico Hoey, $100,593
Rasmus Neegaard-Petersen, $100,593
Peter Malnati, $100,593
Pierceson Coody, $100,593
A.J. Ewart, $100,593
Seamus Power, $100,593
Garrick Higgo, $100,593

T31. Mark Hubbard, $58,930
Chris Kirk, $58,930
Eric Cole, $58,930
Luke Clanton, $58,930
Sam Ryder, $58,930
Doug Ghim, $58,930
Mac Meissner, $58,930

T38. Emiliano Grillo, $47,895
Chan Kim, $47,895

T40. Neal Shipley, $39,655
Adrien Saddier, $39,655
Tyler Duncan, $39,655
Matthieu Pavon, $39,655
Luke List, $39,655
Austin Eckroat, $39,655
Camilo Villegas, $39,655

T47. Dan Brown, $26,971
Fabian Gomez, $26,971
Taylor Pendrith, $26,971
John Parry, $26,971
Justin Lower, $26,971
Patrick Fishburn, $26,971
Patrick Rodgers, $26,971

T54. Troy Merritt, $23,999
Tom Kim, $23,999
Adam Svensson, $23,999
Charley Hoffman, $23,999
Jeffrey Kang, $23,999

T59. Chad Ramey, $23,175
Jordan Smith, $23,175
Jonathan Byrd, $23,175