United

England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale says the prospect of playing under manager Eddie Howe again was an influential factor in his decision to join Newcastle.

The 27-year-old completed a season-long loan move to the Magpies from Southampton on Saturday.

Howe signed Ramsdale from Sheffield United in 2017 for around £800,000 when he was manager at Bournemouth.

“Working with the manager and his coaching staff again was a big draw for me,” said Ramsdale.

“They’ve already had a great influence on my career and the gaffer turned me from a man into a professional footballer at Bournemouth.

“He really showed me the ropes so the manager and his coaching staff were a huge selling point for me to come here.”

Newcastle switched their attention to Ramsdale after Manchester City signed their previous target James Trafford from Burnley.

The goalkeeper is the Magpies’ third signing of the summer, following the acquisitions of Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest and Antonio Cordero from Malaga.

The club rejected a bid of around £110m from Liverpool for striker Alexander Isak on Friday.

Newcastle, who are keen to keep the Swede, value the forward at around £150m.

Newcastle United have rejected an opening offer from Liverpool for striker Alexander Isak.

The Magpies value the Sweden international at about £150m, with the Reds’ offer falling below that figure.

There has been no confirmation as to the level of Liverpool’s bid.

Isak was left out of the Newcastle squad for their pre-season tour of Asia as he wants to explore a move away.

The bid from Liverpool has been lodged while Isak trains alone at former club Real Sociedad, amid continued uncertainty around his future.

The 25-year-old joined Newcastle in a £60m move from La Liga club Real Sociedad in 2022.

BBC Sport reported in July that Liverpool were considering a move for Isak worth up to £130m.

Newcastle have maintained he is not for sale this summer, but that has not prevented Liverpool from taking a major interest.

The Premier League champions made an approach to Newcastle last month and have now lodged an official bid.

It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will make an improved bid for Isak.

But manager Arne Slot is very keen to add the striker to his squad before the new season.

Magpies head coach Eddie Howe said earlier this week the club are yet to receive a bid from any club for the striker.

“[Isak] is still our player. He’s contracted to us,” he added.

“We, to a degree, control what is next for him. I would love to believe all possibilities are still available to us. My wish is that he stays, but that’s not in my full control.

“We have not received a formal offer for Alex, from any club.”

Isak scored 27 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions for Newcastle last season.

Howe’s side lost their third match of pre-season on Wednesday with a 1-0 defeat by a K-League XI.

They face fellow Premier League outfit Tottenham at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Sunday.

Canada has become the latest country to announce its intention to recognise a Palestinian state if certain conditions are met. Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the Israeli government for allowing a catastrophe to unfold in Gaza.

Ruben Amorim’s side need to improve on their 24-25 performance, when they finished 23 points behind seventh-placed Nottingham Forest, who took up the last of the European qualifying places based on a league finish.

United have already spent more than £125m to bring in forwards Matheus Cunha from Wolves and Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford.

They also continue to be linked with strikers, with Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins’ the most recent subject of speculation following suggestions of a move for Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson.

Both rumours involved out-of-favour winger Alejandro Garnacho going the other way.

United sources are adamant no deal is imminent, with Villa privately saying Watkins is going nowhere.

The club have travelled to the Unired States for their three-match Premier League Summer Series campaign featuring games against West Ham, Bournemouth and Everton.

In the meantime, Garnacho and fellow outcasts Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia are training with club staff at United’s Carrington training complex.

Real Betis are still keen to bring Antony back to the club after last season’s successful loan spell, while Juventus are keen on Sancho but need to create room in their squad before they can pursue any deal.

July 24 (UPI) — The United States has recalled its negotiators in Gaza hostage talks after the latest response from Hamas “clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a cease-fire,” U.S. Mideast Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday.

Negotiators were meeting in Doha and Witkoff said the parties will pursue “alternative options” following the Hamas response in the latest round of negotiations.

“While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith,” Witkoff continued in a statement.

“We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza. It’s a shame Hamas has acted in this selfish way. We are resolute in seeking an end to this conflict and permanent peace in Gaza,” he said.

Israel has also recalled its team of negotiators, but an Israeli negotiator said the talks did not “collapse.”

There was no immediate response from Hamas.

Cleethorpes Pier, circled by the local gull squad, looks at its picture-postcard best. Ahead of the lunch crowd making for Papa’s Fish & Chips restaurant, I’m taking a seat in the pier’s ballroom to hear seaside historian Kathryn Ferry talk about her latest book, Twentieth Century Seaside Architecture.

Ordering a pot of tea, I’m taken back to my student days. Back in the late 1990s, the ballroom hosted Pier 39, a sticky-floored nightclub where getting your heels wedged in the planks after too many vodkas was considered par for the course. Following a shift waitressing at a nearby fish restaurant, our girl gang would douse our hair in Charlie Red body spray to mask the fug of haddock before dancing the night away where the Humber estuary meets the North Sea.

The pier first opened on August bank holiday 1873 to a flock of locals and day-trippers, many of whom were taking some of the first train and ferry-service packages across the Humber from South Yorkshire and the Midlands. It’s not hard to imagine the giddy thrill of glimpsing this elegant pavilion structure for the very first time: it stretched 365 metres into the sea.

Ferry cites the pier as one of a trove of local architectural treasures: postwar buildings with funky rooflines, illuminations, shops fronted with Victorian cast-iron verandas … “enough surviving seaside things”, she tells the crowd, “to ensure Cleethorpes retains its very distinctive feel”.

I grew up in Grimsby, just a couple of miles up the road. Cleethorpes had long felt like a sandy wonderland, filled with bright lights and sugar highs. During the pandemic, after 20 years living away, I came back to Cleethorpes from London and I now feel lucky to be raising a family in the sandy footsteps of my childhood. Summer feels magical – we are tourists at home. My nine-year-old and toddler both love splashing about in the free, open-air paddling pool, riding the dinky Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway and cycling along Buck Beck – a long, calming coastal path where ice-cream at the family-run Brew Stop cafe is a rite of passage. In summer, you can rent the owners’ little beach hut and watch the world go by from your stripy deckchair.

During my university and London years – roughly 2000 to 2020 – the resort’s cultural identity began to shift with the closure of iconic venues such as, in 2007, the Winter Gardens. An entertainment venue dating back to the 1930s, its stage was once graced by acts including Elton John, the Clash and Roxy Music, not to mention playing host to the feted “Bags Ball” weekly dance night. Also closed, after a 23-year run as one of the area’s leading theme parks, was Pleasure Island and its beloved Boomerang ride, which ceased functioning in 2016. And some of the area’s big-draw events – including the Radio 1 Roadshow, which made its last stop here in 1999 fronted by S Club 7 – were scratched from the listings. In the words of one local: “It felt like the fun police had come to town.”

Now, building on events such as the Summer Steam festival and the Great Grub Fest, there’s a definite sense of cultural renaissance brewing. Cleethorpes seafront is in the process of a long-awaited £18.4m regeneration project that will focus on a reimagining of the Pier Gardens and the reintroduction of the old market place. With a potential direct train link from Cleethorpes to London in the offing, the resort is extending its bucket-and-spade appeal to a new generation.

On 2 August – with the stage still warm from sets by the Charlatans and Ash as part of DocksFest – Cleethorpes’ Meridian showground is set to transform into an open-air celebration of cool and contemporary sounds covering jazz, funk and soul, as the area’s newest festival, Everybody Loves the Sunshine, lays down 10 hours of live music for just £10 a ticket. Together with Brighton-based record label Tru Thoughts, the festival is curated by the Culture House, a local charity that has been instrumental in plugging the cultural gap across North East Lincolnshire, an area that can often feel on the fringes of the national arts and culture scene.

Beyond the music, nature abounds. At Marine Embankment beach, bird lovers can spy curlews, lapwings and oystercatchers nesting in the saltmarshes (check tide times), while the sandy dunes around the Humber Mouth Yacht Club (about an hour’s walk from the Pier) are the perfect spot for big-sky sundowners and picnics. Steel & Soul runs a blissful drop-in morning yoga class on the beach here every other Sunday until the end of September (£10 a class).

A must-visit at this end of the town is the Humberston Fitties, an otherworldly village of about 300 beach chalets that sprang up beside the sand dunes after the first world war. Many of these small dwellings, including artist Sarah Palmer’s home (£80 a night for a two-night minimum stay, sleeps up to four), are available to rent and make a cosy weekend base.

For a stylish home-from-home in the heart of Cleethorpes, check into Cloves B&B (from £95), tucked off the main promenade. Hosts Nick and Maria Ross serve up beautiful home-cooked breakfasts, and if you land on a Friday you can build a picnic hamper from their pop-up larder, which sells freshly baked sourdough and pastries, as well as fruit, veg, cheese, butter and juices, many of which are organic and locally produced. From Saturday to Tuesday, the Edwardian breakfast room then transforms into Cafe Cloves, an intimate dining spot serving a menu of five seasonal dishes. On our last visit, we shared tandoori king prawn skewers with a chopped spinach and red onion salad, cucumber raita and charred lime along with the signature Cloves fishcake – which I could happily eat every day.

Another great spot for lunch is Nasturtium, where head chef Jack Phillips riffs on classics such as catch of the day with a smoked butter sauce, Japanese kosho and a tempura enoki (fried floured mushrooms). Phillips also channels his passion for Asian cooking through his popular pop-up food stall Wakame Cleethorpes. Follow up lunch with a mooch down Sea View Street for boutique threads and heavenly plants and flowers, ending with a slice of lemon meringue pie at Marples.

As for fish and chips – you’re spoilt for choice. An old-fashioned booth at Steel’s Cornerhouse Restaurant for haddock, chips and a pot of tea with bread and butter always feels special. Or, if the weather’s fine, nothing beats walking along the beach with a Papa’s takeaway, eating a tray of chips drenched in vinegar, with the sand between your toes.

“Cleethorpes feels like a sleeper, on the cusp of being awakened,” says Kathryn Ferry. Something tells me this resort is about to have its time in the sun again.

Born from the ashes of World War II, UNESCO was founded with a bold mission: to build peace through culture, education and science.

Now, one of its founding members, the United States, is once again withdrawing from the UN agency because of what it calls an “anti-Israel bias”.

Critics say the move reflects a deeper shift: a retreat from multilateral diplomacy and a rejection of international norms.

They also say it raises questions about US commitment to global leadership and cooperation.

So, what are the real motives behind Washington’s decision?

What impact will it have on UNESCO and the broader UN system?

And is this part of a wider pattern of US disengagement under President Donald Trump?

Presenter: James Bays

Guests:

Amy Koch – Republican political strategist

Ei Sun Oh – political analyst

Mark Seddon – journalist and former UN official

The 27-year-old completed his loan move to Barca with an option for the switch to be made permanent next summer.

England forward Marcus Rashford said Barcelona was a club where “dreams come true” as he joined the La Liga champions on a season-long loan from Manchester United, with an option to buy at the end of the 2025-26 season.

Media reports said that Barcelona would cover Rashford’s wages this season after the player accepted a pay cut, with the option to buy set at about 30 million euros ($35.25m) for the 27-year-old.

“Very excited. I think it’s a club where people’s dreams come true. They win big prizes. And what the club stands for really means a lot to me as well. So it feels like I am at home,” Rashford told reporters following his unveiling on Wednesday.

“Another factor is because the conversations I had with the manager [Hansi Flick] were positive. What he did last season was terrific.

“To lead such a young team to a very successful season and come back to preseason and still want to do more, it shows me everything I thought I knew about the club, and it’s everything I wished.”

Once seen as a club icon and homegrown star, Rashford had a dramatic fall from grace at United, marked by a falling out with manager Ruben Amorim that paved the way for him to move to Aston Villa on loan in February.

“[Manchester United] is in a period of change, and they have been for a while. I don’t have anything bad to say as it has been an important part not just of my career but my life, so I was grateful for the opportunity,” he added.

“But like life, not everything goes as simple as you thought, and this is my next chapter, and I’m fully focused on improving myself and helping the team win trophies.”

Barcelona said Rashford had signed his contract earlier on Wednesday afternoon. “Rashford can play anywhere in attack. Right footed, he can take players on and is an excellent finisher, talents he can now show in a Barca shirt,” the club said in a statement.

Second time lucky with Barca loan deal

The move to Barcelona came after Manchester-born Rashford, who made 426 senior appearances and scored 138 goals for United in all competitions, fell out of favour with Amorim, who called his work rate into question.

Rashford, who won two FA Cups, two League Cups and a Europa League title with United, joined Aston Villa on loan after Amorim said he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.

United issued a statement wishing Rashford well as they announced the deal with Barcelona.

“Everyone at Manchester United wishes Marcus good luck for the season,” the club said.

The forward, who has scored 17 goals for England in 62 appearances, said he was feeling fitter and better after joining Villa, where he netted two goals in 10 league games, while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.

Rashford said he had wanted to move to Barca during the mid-season transfer window when he joined Villa.

“I was clear on my preference [to join Barcelona] from the beginning. Actually, from maybe in January. It didn’t work out in January, so I went to Villa and enjoyed a good period there,” he said.

“It was time to make another decision. My choice was easy. [Barcelona] is a family club, something I’m used to from my past. It feels like home.”

Barcelona are set to play three preseason friendlies in Japan and South Korea, starting on July 27.

Hello? Barça?
For sure, I ‘m coming ☎️ pic.twitter.com/VoN4GBGxtg

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 23, 2025

July 22 (UPI) — The biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca announced it will $50 billion into the United States, with plans to open several manufacturing facilities in several states.

AstraZeneca said in a press release Monday that it will invest by both manufacturing some of its medicines and conducting research and development stateside, and will reach that $50 billion mark by 2030.

This move is intended to create thousands of new American jobs, with the main effort to expand being a multi-billion-dollar manufacturing facility to be built in Virginia. A number of its weight management drugs are to be produced there, and it will create its products via a combination of data analysis, AI and automation.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin thanked AstraZeneca in the release, “for choosing Virginia as the cornerstone for this transformational investment in the United States.”

“This project will set the standard for the latest technological advancements in pharmaceutical manufacturing, creating hundreds of highly skilled jobs and helping further strengthen the nation’s domestic supply chain,” said Youngkin. “Advanced manufacturing is at the heart of Virginia’s dynamic economy, so I am thrilled that AstraZeneca, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, plans to make their largest global manufacturing investment here in the Commonwealth.”

Other highlights of the $50 billion investment include research and development facilities constructed in Maryland, Massachusetts, Texas, Indiana and California.

According to the release, the financial goal of AstraZeneca is to reach a total revenue of $80 billion by 2030, half of which is expected to be generated in the United States.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce said in the release that the Trump administration is “proud that AstraZeneca has made the decision to bring substantial pharmaceutical production to our shores.”

“This historic investment is bringing tens of thousands of jobs to the [United States] and will ensure medicine sold in our country is produced right here,” he added.

The Cameroon international, who recorded career-best figures in the EPL last season, joins the club on a long-term deal.

Manchester United has signed forward Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford until 2030, with the option to extend for a further year, United said.

United paid 65 million pounds ($88m) to Brentford, with another 6 million pounds ($8m) potentially due in add-ons for the 25-year-old Cameroon international, according to a club source.

Mbeumo hit new heights in the 2024-25 league season, finishing with a career-high 20 goals to help Brentford to a solid 10th-place finish in the Premier League. Only Mohamed Salah (29), Alexander Isak (23) and Erling Haaland (22) scored more league goals.

“As soon as I knew there was a chance to join Manchester United, I had to take the opportunity to sign for the club of my dreams, the team whose shirt I wore growing up,” Mbeumo said on Monday.

“My mentality is to always be better than I was yesterday. I know that I have the spirit of character to reach another level here, learning from [manager] Ruben Amorim and playing alongside world-class players.”

The versatile Mbeumo thrived on the right wing and also impressed as a centre-forward, proving indispensable for Brentford by starting every league game last season.

He joined the London club from Ligue 2 side Troyes in 2019 and made 242 appearances, scoring 70 goals and providing 51 assists.

“Bryan’s goals and assists record in the Premier League is exceptional. His remarkable consistency has put him amongst the most productive players in England for the last three seasons,” said United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox.

“We are delighted to have secured another one of our primary targets ahead of the preseason tour. The experience in the US will be the perfect opportunity for Bryan to work with Ruben and his new teammates as we prepare for an exciting season ahead.”

Mbeumo becomes United’s fourth signing of the summer after the arrivals of Matheus Cunha, Diego Leon and youngster Enzo Kana-Biyik.

United are playing three preseason matches in the United States: July 26 vs West Ham United in New Jersey, July 30 vs Bournemouth in Chicago and August 3 vs Everton in Atlanta.

The wait is over. pic.twitter.com/hPQhyobOrB

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 21, 2025

Whatever the decision on United’s striker dilemma, there can be little argument the addition of Mbeumo – alongside Cunha – strengthens their firepower.

Only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Newcastle’s Alexander Isak and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland scored more than his 20 Premier League goals last season.

It was, though, the first time he has reached double figures for a top-flight club, and his expected goals (xG) statistic of 12.3 – which he outperformed by 7.7 goals – is something that would be difficult to repeat.

In the past five Premier League seasons, just 14 players have overperformed their xG by five goals or more.

Sutton said: “He has done well at Brentford but playing for Manchester United is very different. With respect to Brentford, there is no great expectation there. At United, he will be expected to perform straight away.

“He has experience, he is a good finisher and his versatility is a big positive – he can play as a central striker as well as on the wing, cutting inside off the right on to his left foot.

“But he has had one very good season where his numbers were very good, so the question is whether he can repeat that.”

The Cameroon international is not being bought just for his goals, though.

Mbeumo prefers to play on the right behind a striker – with Cunha expected to feature on the left – but also has the versatility to play centrally, offering another solution to the striker problem.

He topped the list for touches per 90 minutes for players who scored more than 15 goals last season – showing his involvement in play – and ranks as one of the best ball carriers in the league, consistently with an effective end product.

He was 17th on the list of top assisters – with seven – but in expected assists he led the way in the Premier League with 9.3 xA.

Alongside Cunha’s creativity, that can only be good news for whoever is chosen to play the central striker role.

“Consistency in those forward positions is what United are striving for, because they have not had it with, say, Alejandro Garnacho or Antony,” said Sutton.

“They are maybe thinking an older, more experienced player, who is more reliable, is what they need. That’s Mbeumo – he fits into Ruben Amorim’s system and he fits the bill as proven Premier League quality too.

“Amorim wants a harmonious camp as well as a consistent performer, not someone who is a 3/10 one week and a 9/10 the next.

“That’s what Manchester United have really been lacking and the numbers Mbeumo provided could be really important. That is the part of the jigsaw they have got to really solve if they want to be challenging at the top end of the table.”

On July 9, 2024, no fewer than 11 experts mandated by the United Nations Human Rights Council issued a mayday call about famine in Gaza.

“We declare that Israel’s intentional and targeted starvation campaign against the Palestinian people is a form of genocidal violence and has resulted in famine across all of Gaza. We call upon the international community to prioritise the delivery of humanitarian aid by land by any means necessary, end Israel’s siege, and establish a ceasefire,” their statement read.

Among the experts were Michael Fakhri, special rapporteur on the right to food, Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, special rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, and Francesca Albanese, special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967. In their opinion, the death of children from starvation despite attempts to provide them with medical treatment in central Gaza left no room for equivocation.

While “famine” is generally understood as an acute lack of nutrition which would lead to starvation and death of a group of people or an entire population, there is no universally accepted definition of the concept in international law.

However, in 2004, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) developed the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a five-stage quantitative humanitarian scale to map the food insecurity of a population.

The aim of this evaluation instrument is to spur collective action when food insecurity is identified and prevent such situations from reaching Level 5 on the IPC scale when famine is confirmed and declared. It has been used by FAO, the World Food Programme (WFP) and their partners as a scientific, data-driven tool for the past 20 years.

The IPC quantifiable criteria for declaring famine are gruesomely straightforward: 20 percent or more of households in an area face extreme food shortages with a limited ability to cope; acute malnutrition in children exceeds 30 percent; and the death rate exceeds two people per 10,000 per day. When these three benchmarks are met, “famine” needs to be declared. Although it does not trigger legal or treaty obligations, it is nevertheless an important political signal to compel an international humanitarian action.

If the aforementioned experts could conclude, in unison and over a year ago, that famine was present in the besieged Gaza Strip, it is hard to understand why the competent UN entities and executive heads have not yet reached the conclusion that Level 5 has been reached by July of this year, after over four months of a medieval siege.

In the era of real-time information transmitted to smartphones the world over, the reality of fatal levels of food insecurity is glaring and unconscionable. Images of emaciated bodies reminiscent of those taken in Nazi concentration camps tell the macabre tale of the reality in Gaza, blockaded by the uncompromising Israeli occupation forces.

And yet, even against the backdrop of UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warnings issued on July 20 that one million children in Gaza are facing the risk of starvation, “famine” is not yet declared.

On the surface, the explanation for not declaring “famine” in Gaza is that the necessary data used under the IPC scheme is not available. This may well be the case since Israel prevents access to the Gaza Strip to journalists and some humanitarian workers. IPC analysts, therefore, do not have primary data collection capabilities, which they have for the other 30 or so situations they monitor. But when the physical evidence is plain to see, when some reliable data is available, humanitarian considerations ought to override technical requirements.

However, in today’s UN system culture transfixed by a US administration gone amok against it, political considerations override the sense of duty and professional imperatives. Those at the helm know what is right (or one hopes so) — and what could be fatal to their persona and careers.

The US government’s ad hominem attacks against and sanctions imposed on Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan and UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese are a vivid reminder that those jobs are not without risks. In the case of Albanese, her mandate is not even a “job” as she is carrying it out pro bono, which makes her steadfastness and courage all the more exemplary.

Admittedly, UN executive heads such as Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have more complex calculations to contend with, punitive actions by some powers on the organisation they lead being the principal one. As the saying goes, “money talks” and the US is the single largest contributor to the UN system.

But now that the US Congress has passed an unprecedented bill defunding the UN system, not doing what is right to shield the concerned UN organisations from Washington’s retaliatory wrath is no longer an acceptable cop-out, if it ever was.

It is important here to remember that the Statute of the ICC provides that starvation of civilians constitutes a war crime when committed in international armed conflicts. The full siege of Gaza since March 2, which is resulting in the starvation of civilians, first and foremost infants and children, falls squarely within the purview of Article 8 of the Statute, all the more so as it is the result of a deliberate and declaratory policy denying humanitarian assistance for months.

In this man-made famine, Palestinians are starving to death amid the deafening silence of the world, while tonnes of food are going to waste on the Egyptian side of the border while awaiting permission to enter Gaza. Israeli troops and foreign mercenaries hired by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation have killed more than 900 Palestinians seeking aid at so-called humanitarian distribution sites. Some 90,000 children and women are in need of urgent treatment for malnutrition, according to the WFP; 19 people died of starvation in a single day on July 20, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported. And worse is yet to come.

Michael Fakhri, Pedro Arrojo-Agudo and Francesca Albanese said it a year ago — it is high time for the UN to officially declare that “famine” is in Gaza.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

Barcelona agree deal to sign England international Marcus Rashford on an initial loan deal from Manchester United.

Barcelona’s already impressive front line is about to be boosted by the signing of Marcus Rashford.

Rashford is in Barcelona to complete a move from Manchester United, a person with knowledge of the transfer told The Associated Press news agency on Monday.

The person was not authorised to speak about the transfer publicly and did not want to be named.

The loan deal would give the 27-year-old England forward, once considered among Europe’s top talents, a chance to revive a career that has stalled in recent years after he fell out of favour at United and ended last season on loan at Aston Villa.

Spanish media said the one-year loan would give Barcelona an option to buy Rashford for about $35m.

Barcelona had the best attack in Spanish football and one of the most prolific across Europe last season but had been trying to add another piece to the front line to go along with young star Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and veteran Robert Lewandowski.

Rashford has spent his entire career at United, scoring 138 goals in 429 appearances and winning five major trophies, including two FA Cups and the Europa League.

But he struggled to consistently live up to the hype that surrounded him when he burst onto the scene as a teenager in 2016 – managing 20 goals or more only in three seasons. In his past two seasons at United, he scored a combined 15 goals and added another four in 17 games on loan at Villa.

Barcelona won the Spanish league title with 102 goals, 24 more than runners-up Real Madrid. The Catalan club also led the Champions League in goals with 43, five more than champion Paris Saint-Germain, before being eliminated by Inter Milan in the semifinals.

Joining Barcelona has been Rashford’s preferred option since he declared in December that he was ready for a new challenge after being dropped by United head coach Ruben Amorim.

The move will be Rashford’s second consecutive loan spell after a six-month stint with Aston Villa in the second half of last season.

The forward is expected to complete a medical with the La Liga club early this week, with the aim of being able to join Barcelona’s pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea on Thursday.

Should Rashford join the tour, he could come up against former United team-mate Jesse Lingard.

Lingard, 32, is in his second season with K League side FC Seoul, who face Barcelona on 31 July.

Earlier this summer Spanish champions Barcelona had looked set to sign Spain winger Nico Williams.

However, the 22-year-old signed a new 10-year contract at Athletic Bilbao.

Rashford spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa where he made 17 appearances across all competitions, scoring four goals and providing six assists.

He is one of five United players – and the highest paid – told to train separately from Amorim’s squad amid a stand-off over their futures.

The 27-year-old does not believe he will play for United again while Amorim is at the club.

If the deal to Barcelona does go through, it would be a massive positive for United as they look to strengthen Amorim’s squad.

With over £130m committed to signing Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, further deals have to be funded through departures.

Even if Rashford’s exit was initially on loan, the saving off the wage bill would be significant given only Casemiro earns more than his £325,000-a-week salary.

He has done well at Brentford, but playing for Manchester United is very different. With respect to Brentford, there is no great expectation there. At United, he will be expected to perform straightaway.

He has experience, he is a good finisher, and his versatility is a big positive – he can play as a central striker as well as on the wing, cutting inside off the right on to his left foot.

But he has had one very good season where his numbers were very good, so the question is whether he can repeat that.

Consistency in those forward positions is what United are striving for, because they have not had it with, say, Alejandro Garnacho or Antony.

They are maybe thinking an older, more experienced player, who is more reliable, is what they need. That’s Mbeumo – he fits into Ruben Amorim’s system, and he fits the bill as proven Premier League quality too.

United’s attack is clearly an area they need to improve. People talk about how the way they play at the back, with the back three Amorim wants, and it is a difficult system to play at times when you are trying to press high because all your players have to work hard and be really switched on.

That’s why he has gone for Mbeumo, because I think he is someone he feels he can trust in all areas, in possession and out of it, with the work-rate and energy he needs – and goals too.

Although they have been strongly linked with Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in recent days, it has always been the priority at Old Trafford to get the Mbeumo deal done in time for Amorim to work with him in the Chicago, where United will largely be based for their 13-day trip.

The 25-year-old scored 20 Premier League goals last season and a number of clubs were interested in him, including Tottenham, now managed by former Brentford boss Thomas Frank.

However, Mbeumo’s preference was to join United.

Brentford’s other main goal threat, striker Yoane Wissa, is the subject of interest from Newcastle.

Last season Amorim repeatedly spoke about United’s failure to convert their chances.

Their 44 Premier League goals was their worst return in a domestic campaign since they were relegated in 1973-74.

United have signed forward Matheus Cunha and defender Diego Leon in the summer transfer window.

Francesca Albanese addresses delegates from 30 countries to discuss ways nations can try to stop Israel’s offensive.

The United Nations’s special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian Territories has said that it is time for nations around the world to take concrete actions to stop Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza.

Francesca Albanese spoke to delegates from 30 countries meeting in Colombia’s capital, Bogota, on Tuesday to discuss Israel’s brutal assault and ways nations can try to stop the offensive in the besieged enclave.

Many of the participating nations have described Israel’s war on Gaza as a genocide against the Palestinians.

More than 58,000 people have been killed since Israel launched the assault in October 2023, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israeli forces have also imposed several total blockades on the territory throughout the war, pushing Gaza’s 2.3 million residents to the brink of starvation.

“Each state must immediately review and suspend all ties with the State of Israel … and ensure its private sector does the same,” Albanese said. “The Israeli economy is structured to sustain the occupation that has now turned genocidal.”

The two-day conference organised by Colombia and South Africa is being attended mostly by developing nations, although Spain, Ireland and China have also sent delegates.

The conference is co-chaired by South Africa and Colombia, which last year suspended coal exports to Israeli power plants. It includes the participation of members of The Hague Group, a coalition of eight countries that earlier this year pledged to cut military ties with Israel and comply with an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

For decades, South Africa’s governing African National Congress party has compared Israel’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank with its own history of oppression under the harsh apartheid regime of white minority rule, which restricted most Black people to areas called “homelands”, before ending in 1994.

The gathering comes as the European Union weighs various measures against Israel, which include a ban on imports from illegal Israeli settlements, an arms embargo and individual sanctions against Israeli officials who are found to be blocking a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Colombian Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Mauricio Jaramillo said on Monday that the nations participating in the Bogota meeting, which also include Qatar and Turkiye, will be discussing diplomatic and judicial measures to put more pressure on Israel to cease its attacks.

The Colombian official described Israel’s conduct in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as an affront to the international order.

“This is not just about Palestine,” Jaramillo said in a news conference. “It is about defending international law and the right to self-determination.”

Special rapporteur Albanese’s comments echoed remarks she made earlier on Tuesday addressed to the EU. The bloc’s foreign ministers had been meeting in Brussels to discuss possible action against Israel.

In a series of posts on X, Albanese wrote that the EU is “legally bound” to suspend its association agreement with Israel, citing its obligations under international law.

Albanese said the EU is not only Israel’s top trading partner but also its top investment partner, nearly double the size of the US, and “trade with an economy inextricably tied to occupation, apartheid and genocide is complicity”.

Jota played for Wolves before joining Liverpool in 2020 and tributes for him and his brother have also been placed outside the Molineux stadium of the Midlands club.

“With heavy rain and thunderstorms forecast in the coming days, staff have begun carefully removing and preserving items from the tribute area to protect them from damage,” said a Wolves statement., external

“All non-perishable items will be carefully stored and will be retained for potential inclusion in a more permanent memorial, which the club is now exploring as a lasting way to honour Diogo and Andre.”

Wolves also plan to mark the passing of the brothers at their final pre-season friendly against Celta Vigo on Saturday, 9 August before the “main commemorations” at the side’s opening game of the Premier League season against Manchester City on Saturday, 16 August.