16/05/2026

SPORTS SATURDAY | MAY 16, 2026

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Slot has ‘every reason to believe’ he will not be sacked

Ű BY LUKE BAKER

Elliott back at Anfield after disastrous Villa loan

ARNE SLOT has revealed the deci sion on Harvey Elliott’s Liverpool FC future with his highly unproductive loan spell at Aston Villa set to come to an end. Midfielder Elliott made the tem porary switch to Villa Park at the end of last year’s transfer window, on a season-long loan with an obli gation to buy conditional on appearances made. But his time there has been a complete dud, with the 23-year-old having played just 284 minutes across the season for Unai Emery’s side – making just one Premier League start and not earning a sin gle top-flight minute since Feb 1. Elliott needed to make 10 Premier League appearances to trigger the obligation to buy but has played just four League matches and Arne Slot confirmed the midfielder will return to Anfield for the start of pre-season. And the Reds boss also expressed his frus tration at how the current cam paign has gone for the youngster. Slot said: “I think for him, for eve

Ű BY RICHARD JOLLY

myself, but I have every reason to believe I am the Liverpool manager next season. “First of all, I am contracted to this club and second of all from all the talks we are having. That is my take on it. “But if you don’t have the best season, especially if you compare with last season – if you compare it with other seasons you might have a different debate – but if you compare it with last season, this has defi nitely not been a great season, then it is also normal that criticism comes. “We have all had our share, and with ‘all’ I mean the players have had their share, the manager has had their share and other people in the club have had their share. That is how things work nowa days if you don’t win the League.” There has been a sense that many Liverpool supporters want Slot to go and he said: “I think the world has gone to if a manager or a club doesn’t have their best season there is always a debate about that, it is not only Liverpool it is all around the world. That is the new reality in foot ball.– The Independent

ARNE SLOT says he has every reason to believe he will be in charge of Liverpool again next season as he expressed his confidence he will not be sacked. The Dutchman is involved in discus sions about Liverpool’s summer plans while his talks with the club’s hierarchy do not give him any concerns he will be dis missed, despite their disappointing cam paign. Slot accepts it is natural there will be criticism after defending champions Liverpool are only fourth and yet to qual ify for the Champions League. But while many supporters booed Slot’s decision to substitute Rio Ngumoha last week and at the final whistle in the 1 1 draw with Chelsea, he believes he retains the backing of director of football Richard Hughes and owners Fenway Sports Group. Slot, who has a further year left on his contract, expects to stay, explaining: “I don’t think I am deciding that alone by

was expecting. That’s not for me to answer. “But it’s always a pity if a player hardly plays for two years, let alone a player of that age that has shown during the (U-21) Euros that he’s such a good player.” Emery labelled Elliott’s lack of game-time with Villa this season as “embarrassing for everyone”. “It is something embarrassing for everyone involved in it. My apologies for Harvey Elliott are every day in my mind. But it is the responsibility. We have our respon sibility and Liverpool have their responsibility. As a human and as a person, how the season has gone has been difficult.” Slot confirmed that Elliott will be given the chance to impress in pre season with the Reds before a deci sion is made on his future. – The Independent/AFP

ryone, it didn’t work out as he wanted it, as we wanted it and probably also how Villa wanted it, because you usually sign a player or bring him in on loan to use him. “That hasn’t happened a lot. That’s not for me to answer why that is. But of course, it’s never nice for a player not to make so many minutes, especially after the season he had with us, where he made – I assume – even more minutes with us than these 280. “He went over there to get more playing time, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. And for such a talented player that did so well in the U-21 Euros (last year), you want a player like that to get more and more playing time. “He went to a very, very good team as well, where they also have a lot of good players. I don’t know why he hasn’t made the minutes he

Devils’ Rashford dilemma Striker has excelled on loan at Barca but things have shifted at Old Trafford with a transfer puzzle to solve

Ű BY RICHARD JOLLY

forward to replace Robert Lewandowski, would even try to buy Rashford anyway. They may prefer the brinkmanship of aiming to borrow him again. The sense has been that Rashford feels his United career is over, even beyond the feeling that his first choice is to be in Catalonia. Certainly, there may be some at Old Trafford and in the fan base who do not want him to return. As things unravelled in the 18 months following his outstanding campaign in 2022/23, there were more incidents beyond those that got into the pub lic domain. But it was nevertheless true that he was exiled with remarkable speed by Amorim, whose United then scored very few goals. It was a damaging deci sion, but Amorim is gone. Carrick is a former teammate and coach; indeed, no player scored more goals or got more assists for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United than Rashford. Last month, United’s temporary manager said no decision had been made on Rashford. Nor on Carrick himself, perhaps, though he is likely to get the job on a lengthier basis. And if he provided a non-answer last week, Rashford may yet be a logi cal answer for United. Some bridges may have to be rebuilt, but he is a scorer of 138 United goals, a player good enough to excel for Barcelona. They are not obliged to give him to the new champions of Spain on the cheap. Especially not when he could fill in at least two gaps in United’s plans for next season. – The Independent

often, but is essentially a No. 10. Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo have taken turns there. Rashford would have the potential to be a regular. Meanwhile, Benjamin Sesko is the only special ist No. 9 in the squad, and though Rashford proba bly would not describe himself as such, he is better qualified to fill the role than anyone else on United’s books, with the exception of Rasmus Hojlund, whose loan to Napoli is set to become a permanent deal. As United’s recruitment drive last summer shows, when they spent around £200 million (RM1.04b) on Cunha, Sesko and Mbeumo, they can end up paying at least £60 million (RM312m) for forwards; the club would concede that they paid towards the upper end of their valuations for players who, in some cases, are less gifted than Rashford. And selling him for €30 million would repre sent a figure at the lower end of his valuation, even accounting for his sizeable wages and the fact he turns 29 in October. The numbers have significance when the sum mer spending has to be focused on the midfield, in what might be a £200 million rebuild, with at least two signings required – preferably three. They may want other additions, too: perhaps a left-back, unless Dorgu is pencilled in for defensive duties. Meanwhile, there is no guarantee that Barcelona, their funds ever tight, their preference for trying to get quality players on the cheap, their greatest need arguably for an out-and-out centre

substitute appearances. A tally of 14 goals in 47 games is decent, if unex ceptional. More impressive, though, is that he also has 14 assists, giving him 28 goal contributions, an average of one every 87 minutes on the pitch. There is an argument that Rashford has been flattered by the figures and, unlike United, Barcelona have been in Europe, but he has as many goal involvements this season as Bruno Fernandes. Which, in its own way, may offer an insight into what United are missing. Though arguably not missing too much, given that they have qualified for the Champions League and have taken the most points in the Premier League since Michael Carrick’s return to Old Trafford. Yet that has been built on a small core. With European commitments next season, United require more players. It is also evident they need attacking reinforcements; it was clear even before Joshua Zirkzee laboured ineffectually in last Saturday’s stalemate at Sunderland to show why he is not good enough. Their squad, reshaped by Ruben Amorim in his quest to play a 3-4-3 that didn’t suit Rashford – or virtually anyone else, for that matter – does not contain a natural left-winger. Patrick Dorgu started Carrick’s reign there, acquitting himself well before getting injured, but it remains to be seen if that was a short-term gam bit or a long-term strategy. Matheus Cunha has occupied the role more

A CLUB with a long and proud tradition of homegrown players clinches their league title by beating their major rivals with a spectacular goal by Marcus Rashford (pic) . For Manchester United, it may have long seemed the dream. Although the reality is that the newly anointed champions are Barcelona, Rashford’s curling free kick setting them on their way to a Clasico win over Real Madrid last week end. History for Rashford, becoming the first Englishman to win La Liga with Barca, and joining what remains a select group to triumph with any one, alongside Laurie Cunningham, David Beckham, Kieran Trippier and Jude Bellingham. If the circumstances were different, it would surely prompt Barcelona to take up the €30 million (RM140m) option to turn his loan into a transfer. Although, were the circumstances different, Rashford may not have got the move to the Nou Camp he seemed to covet when his relationship with United broke down. The Catalan club were also interested in the costlier Luis Diaz and Nico Williams last summer, Rashford seemed like plan C, available without an immediate transfer fee in part because of United’s inability to sell him. He has nevertheless been a success as a high-calibre squad player, his outings split almost equally between starts and