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Manchester United refuse Barcelona stance on Marcus Rashford deal, Jurgen Klopp’s future plans revealed - Paper Round
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Published 17/02/2026 at 22:57 GMT
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Barcelona want to negotiate a lower price for Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford but United will not play ball. The Reds will also reportedly take their time as they consider if Michael Carrick is the right long-time head coach. Elsewhere, goalkeeper James Trafford is expected to leave Manchester City in the summer, and Real Madrid will not tempt Jurgen Klopp to take over.
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Man Utd refuse to lower Rashford asking price
Manchester United are refusing to consider a lower price for Marcus Rashford, insisting on the £26.2 million previously agreed with Barcelona.
The 28-year-old has impressed in his time in Spain, but stories claim Barcelona are looking to negotiate a lower fee.
The Mirror reports: "Manchester United will not entertain any offers for Marcus Rashford that fall below the €30 million (£26.2m) sum that was agreed with Barcelona prior to his loan move last summer.
"The England attacker, 28, clinched a dream move to the Nou Camp after months of speculation during the transfer window after falling out of favour under United's previous head coach, Ruben Amorim. The deal included an option to make the move permanent for a figure between €30m and €35m (£30.5m).
"Rashford has impressed in Spain since putting pen to paper and wants to continue with Barca beyond this season.
"He has been in fine form, scoring 10 goals, however there have been suggestions that the Spanish giants will try to negotiate a lower transfer fee than the one previously agreed for the forward.
"It remains to be seen if that stance will complicate matters for Rashford this summer, with a return to Old Trafford still deemed unlikely despite the fact that Amorim was sacked last month."
Man Utd will not hurry into manager appointment
The Telegraph believes that Manchester United will not rush to appoint a new head coach despite Michael Carrick’s bright start.
Instead, United’s hierarchy will take their time to ensure that they find the right candidate to be Ruben Amorim’s full-time replacement.
The paper explains: "Manchester United will undergo a full recruitment process for their next manager and consider all available options, despite Michael Carrick’s stunning start in the job putting him in the frame for the role.
"Carrick has been appointed head coach until the end of the season and does not have ‘interim’ in his job title after succeeding Ruben Amorim a month ago.
"The former United midfielder, 44, is unbeaten in his first five matches in charge, with the club in the Champions League qualification places and 12 points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal.
"But it is understood that United want to take their time to get their next appointment right, with sources expecting the process to be methodical and time-consuming, rather than making a knee-jerk reaction to results."
Trafford expected to leave Man City
The Athletic revealed details of James Trafford’s move to Manchester City in the summer, but predicts he will leave the club at the end of the season.
Gianluigi Donnarumma arrived, to Trafford’s surprise, and he has struggled to get minutes on the pitch as a result.
The website states: "Heading into that summer transfer window, Trafford had been expecting to join Newcastle United, but City were given the opportunity to match any bid made for him.
"So with Newcastle preparing to close the deal as they moved on from the long-serving Martin Dubravka, Burnley (who ended up signing Dubravka as a free agent) informed City, who acted quickly.
"Newcastle were left annoyed by the situation because they had no idea about the clause until around two weeks before City came into the picture. Sources close to the north-east club — speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect their positions — believe the framework of Trafford’s current contract at the Etihad was actually put in place when he left in 2023, making his return at some point a formality.
"Newcastle felt aggrieved that Trafford was fully committed to going back to City, despite his previous intention to move to St James’ Park, which does at least highlight how enthusiastic he was about the prospect of a return.
"As things stand, it would appear unlikely that he will want another year waiting in the wings and given his talent and potential, there will be no shortage of suitors come the summer window."
Klopp won’t join Madrid
Fresh from stories linking Manchester United and Chelsea with former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, the Daily Star gives an update on the German’s future.
Klopp had been put forward as a potential long-term manager of Real Madrid, but he will not be tempted into the role.
The paper writes: "Both Manchester United and Chelsea have strongly denied making offers to Jurgen Klopp for the managerial role. Marc Kosicke, Klopp's agent, stirred up a media storm on Monday when he claimed that both clubs had expressed interest in the former Liverpool manager following his departure from Anfield.
"Kosicke also suggested that Klopp could have taken the reins of the England team in 2024 after Gareth Southgate stepped down. However, the 58-year-old chose to step back from coaching and took up the position of Red Bull's Head of Global Soccer last year.
"Recently, Klopp has been rumoured to be in the running for the managerial position at Real Madrid. However, the Anfield legend doesn't anticipate returning to the touchline next season."
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