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FRIDAY | JULY 18, 2025

Malaysian Paper

Unpalatable situation situation

Manchester United. Other clubs know United’s position. “They’ve made it known that they’re looking to sell around five players, which signals to other clubs to make them ridiculous offers. “I would assume that’s what football clubs are doing around Europe, and Manchester United are turning them down at the moment. “The longer that goes on, I reckon those offers might be a little less ridiculous, but United want these players off the books – they’ve made their bed and they’ve got to lie in it. “They’ll probably take anything from a quarter to a fifth of their asking price for some of them.” When United were drawing up plans for a summer recruitment drive, they may have imagined the attacking overhaul could be funded by the sales of the unwanted. On paper, they might have imagined getting around £160 million (RM928m) for the four forward-thinking players (and perhaps another £10 million (RM58m) for the left-back Malacia): the agreed £40 million (RM232m) price for Rashford, the £25 million (RM145m) fee Chelsea were due to pay for Sancho, perhaps £30 million (RM174m) for Antony and something in the region of £60 million or £70 million (RM348 406m) for Garnacho, who was on Chelsea and Napoli’s radar in January. Much of that looks optimistic now. Desperation is not a particularly good negotiating ploy. Exiling players, as Erik ten Hag did with Sancho and Amorim with Rashford, makes it harder to ask for premium prices. While United thought they had sold Sancho last summer, the reality is three windows have passed without his exit being sealed. For a club who have struggled to sell well in recent years, it is a test of the new regime’s competence: how much of that notional £160 million will they ever see? The danger is that, rather than bringing in the money to reshape their attack, they end up subsidising other clubs’ seasons to take their players. – The Independent Sheringham upset by ‘soul-destroying’ Man Utd and Rashford saga

Ű BY SIMON PEACH & RICHARD JOLLY

T REBLE WINNER Teddy Sheringham does not believe Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford deserves to join Barcelona after what he feels has been a “soul-destroying” episode. The 27-year-old is on the lookout for a new club having spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa after falling out with boss Ruben Amorim and admitting he was “ready for a new challenge”. Rashford is among five players to have informed United they wish to explore a future away from Old Trafford, where he came through the academy and scored 138 goals in 426 first team appearances. The England international, who has lost the No. 10 shirt to summer signing Matheus Cunha, is attracting interest from Barcelona and former striker Sheringham admits he finds the whole situation unpalatable. “If you assess where Marcus Rashford is at as a professional footballer, you strive as a youngster to get to the very top and play for clubs like Manchester United, and when you’re there, you appreciate it,” the ex-United player said. “You don’t throw it away and say you want to leave. “I find the whole episode very soul destroying, compared to the way I was back in the day and how I strove to get the privilege to play for such a huge football club. “To hear someone talking the way he is talking, saying he wants out – I didn’t like Pierre Emerick Aubameyang doing that at Arsenal, I thought it was soul-destroying, and I hope Rashford doesn’t get the move that he’s hankering for. “From my perspective, if you go from Manchester United to Barcelona, that’s a step up that he hasn’t deserved.” Rashford is joined by Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia in searching for a new home as Amorim looks to rebuild a side which stumbled home into 15th place in the Premier League last term. United have made their stance on the quintet clear, which Sheringham believes has hurt their negotiating position as their transfer business has “stagnated” as they seek to offload players to help aid additions. “It’s very easy to spend money on players, but it’s hard to recoup it,” he said. “It seems quiet, but I bet there’s lots going on behind the scenes at

Marcus Rashford. – REUTERSPIC

- Story on page 27

- Story on page 28

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