Sports

England and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has emerged as a transfer target for Barcelona, with the Catalan giants reportedly making moves to secure his services on a loan deal during the January transfer window.

Football journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed the development in a post on X on Friday, noting that the 27-year-old forward has fallen out of favor at Manchester United under manager Ruben Amorim. Rashford recently hinted at his desire for a fresh challenge, further fueling speculation about his potential departure.

Reports indicate that Barcelona has initiated contact with Rashford’s representatives to express their interest in the forward.

Rashford, who has also been linked to other top European clubs, including AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Arsenal, and West Ham, faces a significant stumbling block in his hefty wages. The England international reportedly earns over €350,000 per week at Manchester United, posing a financial challenge for potential suitors.

Despite the wage hurdle, Barcelona president Joan Laporta is reportedly keen on strengthening Hansi Flick’s squad this winter. Laporta views Rashford as a valuable addition who could enhance the team’s attacking options.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola remains optimistic that his team can return to their dominant form once key players recover, despite their current struggles.

The reigning Premier League champions have lost six of their past seven matches across all competitions, leaving them 11 points adrift of league leaders Liverpool. This downturn is a stark contrast for a team that has won six of the last seven Premier League titles, including the past four consecutively.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s home match against Nottingham Forest, Pep Guardiola expressed confidence in City’s ability to recover. “With all the squad this season, we’ll be close to the level that we reached last season,” he said during Tuesday’s pre-match press conference.

City’s season has been marred by injuries, including the long-term absence of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. Other key players, such as Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Mateo Kovacic, and Ruben Dias, have also faced time on the sidelines.

Despite a 2-0 loss to Liverpool on Sunday, Guardiola described the team’s performance as “magnificent.” He noted that City are just two points behind second-placed Arsenal and insisted the team is not far from regaining its consistency.

Guardiola hinted at potential reinforcements in the January transfer window, stating the club would discuss the matter internally.

Addressing the goalkeeper situation, Guardiola confirmed Ederson remains the first-choice keeper despite being benched for the Liverpool game in favor of Stefan Ortega. The Brazilian was dropped following an error in last week’s 3-3 draw against Feyenoord. “Ederson number one, Stefan number two. But maybe Stefan continues. We’ll see tomorrow and the next games,” he said.

Guardiola also appealed to City’s fans to rally behind the team. “Many, many good moments we’ve lived together,” he said. “They know that we need absolute support because all of us, the players especially, are human beings.”

Nottingham Forest, currently sixth in the league and one point behind City, will visit the Etihad on Wednesday in a critical fixture for Guardiola’s side.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have fallen eight places in the latest FIFA rankings, moving from 36th to 44th globally. The rankings, released on Thursday by FIFA, also show that Nigeria has dropped to fifth in Africa, losing a spot to Algeria.

This marks one of the biggest declines for any team in the rankings, with Congo Brazzaville and Sierra Leone also recording significant drops.

The slide follows a poor performance by the Super Eagles in their final 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. Despite securing qualification before their match against Benin Republic, courtesy of Rwanda’s victory over Libya, Nigeria managed only a late 1-1 draw against the Gernot Rohr-led Beninese.

Four days later, the team suffered a shocking home defeat to Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, compounding their underwhelming performance.

On the continental stage, Morocco and Senegal retained their positions as the best African teams, followed by Egypt in third and Algeria in fourth.

Globally, Argentina continues to lead the rankings, with France and Spain in second and third, respectively. England and Brazil complete the top five teams in the world.

The latest FIFA rankings reflect a challenging period for the Super Eagles, who will look to regain form ahead of the 2025 AFCON tournament.

FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC, producers of Peak Milk and the official dairy partner of the Super Eagles, marked the national team’s qualification for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a special breakfast event in their camp on Sunday.

The Super Eagles secured their spot in the tournament following a 1-1 draw against the Cheetahs of Benin Republic in Abidjan last Thursday. The result saw Nigeria top their group with 11 points from five matches, ahead of Rwanda and Libya, earning an early ticket to the 37th AFCON scheduled to take place in Morocco.

In a statement on Monday, Ore Famurewa, Executive Director of Corporate Affairs at FrieslandCampina WAMCO, highlighted the company’s long-standing partnership with the Super Eagles, which dates back to 1998. Famurewa noted that Peak Milk presented its nourishing dairy products to the players and officials during the event, aiming to boost morale and provide high-quality nourishment.

Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong expressed gratitude on behalf of the team for Peak Milk’s continued support.

“We are especially grateful to Peak Milk for hosting us today and for standing by the team for decades. Their support is invaluable, and I believe it will inspire us to achieve even greater success, especially at next year’s AFCON in Morocco,” Troost-Ekong said.

Olumide Olaokun, Brand Manager for Peak, underscored the importance of the event, stating:

“Peak has been nourishing Nigeria’s number one football brand as the Official Milk of the Super Eagles since 1998. Today’s presentation of our nourishing products will definitely spur the team to victory as we all look forward to a greater performance at next year’s AFCON and earning the ticket to the World Cup to be hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico in 2026.”

The breakfast event further strengthened Peak Milk’s bond with the Super Eagles as both look ahead to a successful campaign in Morocco.