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Celtic are closing in on securing the signature of defender Gustaf Lagerbielke this summer, according to reports, as Brendan Rodgers looks to reinforce his defensive options in the Scottish Premiership.

The former Leicester City manager got his second spell at the club off to the perfect start, defeating Ross County on the opening day of the season, before overcoming Aberdeen on Sunday lunchtime.

What's the latest on Gustaf Lagerbielke to Celtic?

The Scottish Premiership champions are close to securing the signature of Elfsborg centre-back Lagerbielke for a fee of around £3m, according to Anthony Joseph of Sky Sports, who has reported that the defender is set to undergo a medical next week, before finalising terms on a long-term contract.

"Celtic are closing in on the signing of Elfsborg centre-back Gustaf Lagerbielke for a fee of around £3m. The 23-year-old is due to arrive in Glasgow during the week to undergo a medical and finalise terms on a long-term contract."

The 23-year-old looks set to become the seventh name through the door at Celtic Park this season in what has been a fairly successful window for those at the club.

There have been departures, of course, with the exit of Jota to Saudi Arabia side Al-Ittihad and defender Carl Starfelt to Celta Vigo, but, that aside, Rodgers can be pleased with his reinforcements.

Looking to once again win the Scottish Premiership, too, Celtic will only be strengthened by the reported pending arrival of Lagerbielke.

Who is Gustaf Lagerbielke?

Standing at 6ft 3in, Lagerbielke appears to be an imposing central defender, and at 23 years of age, may only get better if he completes the reported move to Celtic this summer.

The Hoops are getting a defender at the top of his game, too, as proven by the fact that his valuation is the highest that it's ever been during his career to date. According to Transfermarkt, Lagerbielke is currently worth €1.2m (£1m), having been worth just €900k (£777k) last year.

With that said, Celtic are swooping in at the best time, before that valuation goes up even more at Elfsborg after another impressive campaign last time out.

Making 15 appearances for the Swedish side last season, Lagerbielke played a key role as his side won the Allsvensken league, edging out Malmo FF by one singular point.

You'd expect that Rodgers will be keen to get a deal done as quickly as possible at Celtic Park, given how thick and fast the fixtures are coming to start off what he hopes will be a successful season.

Speaking after his side defeated Ross County on the opening day, the former Liverpool manager said, via the BBC:

"Once we found our space and combinations we scored a couple of really good goals and played some fantastic football. The two goals we gave away are soft."

An added bonus on the opening day was Rangers' shock defeat against Kilmarnock, handing Celtic an early advantage in the title race.

After already welcoming plenty of reinforcements this summer, they're certainly a side to watch with great interest, too, particularly if they add colossal central defender Lagerbielke before the transfer window slams shut. With weeks remaining before deadline day, though, Celtic will be keen to get the deal done as quickly as possible.

The England coach said he had not been involved in any planning for the on-field verbals and does not believe they send a good image to the next generation

George Dobell in Adelaide03-Dec-2017England coach Trevor Bayliss has admitted he is not comfortable with the sledging that has characterised the early days of the current Ashes series and feels stump microphones should be “turned down” in an attempt to avoid negatively influencing the next generation of cricketers.After Australia flustered Jonny Bairstow in Brisbane with talk of him head-butting Cameron Bancroft, England have hit back in Adelaide with the umpires stepping in between James Anderson and Steven Smith at one point on the first day and Stuart Broad roaring in the face of Peter Handscomb after dismissing him in the opening over on the second day.But Bayliss, previously close to many of the Australia players as coach of New South Wales and Sydney Sixers, categorically denied he was involved in any plans to sledge the Australia players”Personally, from my point of view, I’m probably not [comfortable with the sledging],” Bayliss said. “And it’s certainly not something I’m involved in planning.”But it’s just the way the game is these days. I’d like to see the stump microphones turned down. I don’t think they are necessarily a great thing for young kids watching at home. I don’t think anyone has to listen to what is being said. But it’s grown men playing a very competitive sport and sometimes those emotions boil over.”It’s just red blooded young males competing against each other. Most of the time it’s fairly light hearted. Sometimes there’s a lot more made of it in the press than what happens in the field.”Meanwhile, Bayliss said Joe Root would make the same decision over bowling first if he won the toss again. Accepting that England had “bowled a little short” on the first morning, Bayliss felt they had subsequently adjusted well.”He wouldn’t do anything different,” Bayliss said. “It’s well documented that one of our challenges is taking wickets on flatter wickets. So Joe wanted to give our guys the best opportunity to take 20 wickets. It didn’t work out, although I thought we bowled pretty well.”Look, it wasn’t an easy decision. It wasn’t taken lightly. But for us to win games, you want to take 20 wickets. Joe thought if we bowled first on a fresh wicket it would provide our best opportunity. We bowled pretty well and didn’t get the results we thought we deserved.”And, while Bayliss accepted that Australia’s attack had more pace, he felt England still had the weapons to make inroads on surfaces such as the one in Adelaide.”It’s well documented they’ve got three guys who are quicker than ours,” he said. “But it doesn’t mean they’re impossible to play. You’ve still got to be able to move the ball.”Certainly on that wicket, the bowlers we’ve got are more than capable of taking wickets and creating chance. The bowlers we’ve got are the bowlers we’ve got. There is no point wishing someone could come along with a click of the fingers.”

Big Picture

New Zealand rarely go into an away series without a gameplan. When they toured South Africa for a two-Test series last year, they had a discernible strategy: use the bouncer frequently to scuff up the ball to produce reverse-swing earlier than usual. Against India in the Test series in 2016, coach Mike Hesson stressed that their focus was on getting off strike to negate India’s spinners. Both those strategies worked to a degree, but didn’t translate into wins.For this ODI series against India, New Zealand made room for an aggressive middle-order batsman, Colin Munro, to face the new ball, while pushing down a natural opener in Tom Latham to No. 5. The experiment was trialed in a warm-up game, with acceptable results. Free of error, they stuck with that plan in the first ODI in Mumbai. Although scratchy, Munro blunted a potent new-ball attack, and Latham’s technical efficiency – using his feet, the depth of the crease, and cross-batted strokes against spin – produced a match-winning hundred. Australia came into the ODI series with a formulaic plan, and New Zealand a flexible, horses-for-courses blueprint. Which one worked?In the recent past, India have not been in a position where they have needed to win to force a decider. Their personnel did not fail in Mumbai, but were undone by New Zealand. Wristspinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal were dealt with with incredible ease, Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar weren’t penetrative, and their batsmen, apart from Virat Kohli, were kept in check. Against a confident team, India may just need to step up their own game a notch.

Form guide

India: LWLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)New Zealand: WLLLW

In the spotlight

In his last 10 ODI innings, Rohit Sharma has hit three fifties and three hundreds. Even in favourable batting conditions, that’s exceptional form. Maybe that made him a little complacent in the first ODI in Mumbai, where his innings of 20 ended with a heave across the line against Trent Boult. Rohit has built his ODI career around stability in the first half of an innings, and could switch back to that template in Pune.Kane Williamson is New Zealand’s best batsman. He may have misread Kuldeep Yadav’s wrong’un in Mumbai, where he sliced a drive to cover, and this could mean a more watchful approach for the rest of the series. He has made only two hundreds in his last 37 ODI innings, but has struck 14 fifties in that period. Improving that conversion rate could just help New Zealand seal the series.

Team news

India are unlikely to change their XI, but could rejig the batting order, moving Dinesh Karthik up a position to No. 4, after a steady comeback innings in Mumbai.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Dinesh Karthik, 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 MS Dhoni(wk), 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Jasprit BumrahNew Zealand, barring fitness issues, have no reason to tinker with their winning combination from the first game.New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Henry Nicholls, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Adam Milne, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Tim Southee

Pitch and conditions

The last international match in Pune was a Test that didn’t last three days. The ODI, prior to that, saw 351 chased down by Kohli and Kedar Jadhav. Runs are usually freely available at this ground, especially with short boundaries. There is no chance of rain.

Stats and trivia

• Trent Boult has taken the most wickets in the first 10 overs of ODIs since January 2015 – 30 wickets in 42 innings.
• The previous instance of India losing successive home ODIs in a bilateral series was back in 2013, against Pakistan.

Quotes

“We look at it (trailing 1-0) as a big challenge right now. New Zealand compete exceptionally well. It is a bigger challenge for us to come back”
“We were lucky enough to be here last year, so we knew a little bit how India played and watching them against the Australian team, so lot of work was done in terms of spin and playing in the middle”

Manchester United were 'always confident' that they would be able to tie Marcus Rashford down to a new long-term deal at Old Trafford, according to journalist Dean Jones.

Has Marcus Rashford signed a new contract at Manchester United?

As per The Daily Mail, Rashford has signed a new five-year deal at Manchester United that will see him earn a basic wage of £300,000 per week at Old Trafford.

Bagging a wage increase of £50,000 per week from his previous deal, the England international couldn't contain his excitement when discussing his decision to commit his future to his boyhood club, stating in an interview: "I joined Manchester United as a seven-year-old boy with a dream. That same passion, pride, and determination to succeed still drives me every time I have the honour of wearing the shirt.

I've already had some amazing experiences at this incredible club, but there is still a lot more to achieve and I remain relentlessly determined to win more trophies in the years ahead."

Last term, Rashford was the catalyst for the Red Devils' improvement under boss Erik Ten Hag, as he notched 30 goals and 11 assists in 56 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

The Athletic have revealed that Rashford rejected offers from at least one Premier League rival to stay at Manchester United and Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain were also believed to have been sniffing around the 25-year-old.

Rashford's contract renewal is the latest positive in a recent flurry of good news surrounding the club and follows on from Mason Mount's arrival last month from Chelsea for an initial fee of £55 million, as per Sky Sports.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones has indicated that Manchester United were always relaxed during the process of trying to get Rashford to commit his future to the club.

Jones told FFC: "They were always confident for quite a long time now that the Rashford deal was shaping up in the way they wanted it. I guess the best news to come out of this is that they've definitely got an option at number nine for the start of next season, because Marcus Rashford will be there and he is certainly somebody that Ten Hag has trusted in that role and he'll be able to fill that role if he needs to."

What next for Manchester United?

Undoubtedly, Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag will now be keen to continue his recruitment spree at Old Trafford as he gears his side up for a tilt at the Premier League title.

Journalist Samuel Luckhurst, who is the chief Manchester United writer for The Manchester Evening News, has taken to Twitter to reveal that Andre Onana's pending transfer to the Red Devils from Inter Milan is nearing completion, as he stated: "Andre Onana is at Carrington now for his medical."

Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund looks to be the next port of call for Ten Hag and Manchester United are believed to be in 'advanced talks' with the Serie A outfit to negotiate the structure of the potential transfer, having already thrashed out personal terms with the Denmark international, according to The Independent.

Respected transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has reported that Urawa Red Diamonds goalkeeper Zion Suzuki has emerged as another target in the goalkeeper department and the Red Devils will focus on trying to bring in the Japan international once the addition of Onana is finalised.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEllyse Perry was at the forefront of another Australian victory•ICC/Getty Images

Prior to Saturday’s match, South Africa had never won against Australia in 13 completed ODIs. The closest they had come was in November 2016, when they managed a tie one of the five games of the series. Another had yielded a loss off the penultimate ball. That South Africa were able to bring some of that grit into their last league fixture this World Cup was largely down to legspinner Sune Luus’ fifth five-wicket haul that restricted Australia to 269, and 18-year old Laura Wolvaardt’s solid 71 that they could not capitalise on. South Africa fell 59 runs short in Taunton, allowing the defending champions to turn their attention to a semi-final clash with India on July 20.Ellyse Perry was chiefly responsible for things turning out the way they did as she combined a 58-ball 59 with figures of 2 for 47. She ran Trisha Chetty out for 37 with a sharp throw from deep midwicket, and then removed Luus and Ayabonga Khaka off successive deliveries in the 39th over to clear Australia’s path to victory.Australia’s spinners – Jess Jonassen, Asheligh Gardner and Kristen Beams – had done most of the damage, returning combined figures of 3 for 99 off 30 overs. While left-armer Jonassen took out opener Lizelle Lee in the sixth over of the chase, before adding van Niekerk to her tally of 2 for 40, Gardner and Kristen Beams ensured pressure was kept up from the other end as well.In the absence of Meg Lanning, sidelined for a second time in the tournament with a shoulder injury, stand-in captain Rachael Haynes compounded South Africa’s dismissing Mignon du Preez with her first ball in over four years. Haynes, who had last brandished her left-arm medium pace in the 2013 World Cup, also against the same opponents, dealt the more telling blow to South Africa’s innings in her next over, toppling Wolvaardt on 71. The teenaged opener backed up two half-centuries and two not-outs from five preceding games with a knock full of substance, but she just couldn’t do it alone.That South Africa were able to bring up 100 in under 22 overs was, in part, due to Australia’s sloppy fielding inside the circle. While Perry let an innocuous Wolvaardt drive, off Schutt, roll for four in the third over, Schutt dropped Chetty on 1 off Perry in the eighth, before Haynes joined in the comedy with a dive right over the ball at mid-off. Wolvaardt’s departure, however, robbed the innings of the fluency and worse, triggered a collapse as South Africa lost five wickets for 17 runs. It was only Shabnim Ismail’s 26 off 41 balls that yanked the total from 165 for 8 to 201.Australia could have enjoyed a larger margin of victory if they had been able to capitalise on a 114-run opening stand. But neither of Beth Mooney nor Nicole Bolton could press on to convert their half-centuries beyond 53 and 79 respectively. And even Perry, who struck a fifth-successive fifty – a record in World Cup cricket – was sent back just as she seemed set to dominate. Considering little was going South Africa’s way initially – by the 21st over, Dane van Niekerk had brought on a seventh bowler – Australia’s batsmen would have wanted to make a stronger statement.There was a mitigating factor though – the legspin of Luus. She got rid of Bolton and Elyse Villani in successive deliveries, and then denied Australia the firepower they needed in the slog overs by dismissing Perry in the 40th. She made sure South Africa were feeling good going into the mid-innings break. They just couldn’t hold on to the feeling long enough.

Manchester United supporters have revealed how they had to put up with a ticket farce, disgusting puddles and missing the last train in Turkey.

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• Red Devils enduring tough time in Europe
• Difficult conditions in Istanbul
• Clinging to hope of reaching the last-16

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Devils faced Galatasaray in their latest Champions League fixture. More mistakes from Andre Onana on the field ended up costing Erik ten Hag’s side dear, with the Premier League heavyweights throwing away a commanding lead on two occasions to end up drawing 3-3.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United are now in serious danger of missing out on a place in the last-16 – or even the consolation prize of a spot in the Europa League – with few positive experiences being enjoyed in European competition. That was certainly the case for their fans when another trip to Istanbul was taken in.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  One United fan has detailed the hellish ordeal that travelling supporters had to contend up with before, during and after a meeting with Galatasaray. There was chaos at the turnstiles during the entry process, leading to many missing kick-off, while conditions inside were not up to much on a rain-soaked evening. Fans were then kept behind for well over an hour afterwards, forcing them to seek alternative transport back to their respective accommodation.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  United have one more fixture to take in during their Group A campaign – against Harry Kane and Bundesliga title holders Bayern Munich – with the Red Devils needing a win in that contest and a draw between Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen in order to snatch an unlikely place in the knockout rounds.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been able to reach “the pinnacle of this ruthless industry” despite eternal rival Lionel Messi being “more talented”.

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Portuguese superstar one of the all-time greatsHas broken countless records down the yearsEfforts are the result of hard work & dedication

WHAT HAPPENED?

Two all-time greats have collected 12 Ballons d’Or between them, with countless records broken in domestic, continental and international competition. Messi, who is now on the books of MLS side Inter Miami, is considered to have cemented his reputation as a result of being blessed with God-given talent.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ronaldo, on the other hand, has had to work tirelessly for everything that he has achieved – with the Portuguese maximising his potential through a combination of natural ability and relentless ambition. That drive has taken him to the very top of the game, with millions being inspired by his efforts along the way.

WHAT THEY SAID

Former Premier League star Paul McVeigh – who once played against Ronaldo during their respective spells at Norwich and Manchester United – falls into that category and now references CR7 on a regular basis in his new role as a keynote speaker. McVeigh has told the : “Cristiano Ronaldo is someone I talk about a lot, probably I would say Lionel Messi is more talented, an absolute superstar from the start. Ronaldo was a good player, but he wasn’t the best ever. So how does he go from being good potential to being the best two in the world? If you ask 100 people, most think he has got to the pinnacle of this ruthless industry due to dedication, belief and work. Everything always comes back to what he is doing in his head, his mindset and psychology. Psychology is the single greatest differential in football… and life.”

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Ronaldo is still going strong at 38 years of age, with 18 goals recorded through as many appearances for Al-Nassr this season, and he is expected to play on into his 40s – allowing him to edge towards 800 total efforts at club level while enhancing record-setting hauls of 203 caps and 127 goals for his country.

The England international scored twice in the final quarter of the game in Barcelona to earn the visitors the unlikeliest of 2-1 victories

Jude Bellingham just can't stop scoring. The quality of the opposition, the enormity of the occasion, it makes no difference to the England international, who netted twice as a struggling Real Madrid came from 1-0 down to triumph 2-1 over Barcelona on Saturday afternoon.

Barcelona had dominated for two thirds of the Liga clash at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys and looked set to claim victory in the first Clasico of the season thanks to Ilkay Gundogan's first goal for the Catalan club.

However, Xavi's side were ultimately punished for their profligacy, with the hosts wasting one chance after another to kill the game before Bellingham levelled with a stunning 30-yard strike and then won the game for Madrid with a close-range finish in the dying seconds.

Below, GOAL rates all of the Madrid players on show in Barcelona…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Kepa Arrizabalaga (7/10):

  Nothing he could have done about the Gundogan goal, having been let down by those in front of him, but he kept his side in the game with a great save from Ronald Araujo. A pivotal moment in hindsight.

  Dani Carvajal (8/10):

  One of the few Madrid players to perform anywhere close to their usual level, with the right-back serving as a decent attacking outlet, as underlined by his role in the winner, while also making a crucial last-ditch challenge on Joao Felix, who was in on goal after nutmegging Rudiger.

  Antonio Rudiger (6/10):

  Made plenty of important clearances for the visitors, though he was also embarrassed by Joao Felix.

  David Alaba (5/10):

  Got the nod ahead of Nacho to partner Rudiger and did not justify Ancelotti's faith him, with his weak tackle allowing Gundogan to break the deadlock early on.

  Ferland Mendy (4/10):

  Rested during the week but you wouldn't have known. Contributed absolutely nothing before being replaced just after the break.

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  Midfielder

  Federico Valverde (5/10):

  Brought his usual level of energy to the game but nowhere near as effective or influential as he can be.

  Aurelien Tchouameni (6/10):

  Solid in possession while he also made a couple of key interceptions at a time when Madrid were in danger of being over-run.

  Toni Kroos (5/10):

  Won the ball back several times and used it well, but struggled with Barca's dynamism in the middle of the park, as typified by the way in which Gavi picked his pocket midway through the first half.

  Jude Bellingham (9/10):

  Only 20 but he's already proven himself a big-game player. Wasn't in the game at all until he thumped home a sensational equaliser from distance and then ghosted into the box to win the game for his side in injury time. World-class. It's that simple.

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  Attack

  Rodrygo (3/10):

  The hope was that the goal against Braga might spark the Brazilian into life. It didn't. A dreadful display.

  Vinicius Junior (4/10):

  The picture of frustration during the first half, with Vinicius once again struggling to get anything out of Araujo. Second half wasn't much better, truth be told, but he kept running at Barca right until the end.

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  Subs & Manager

  Joselu (5/10):

  Replaced Rodrygo up front for the final half hour but didn't make much of an impact.

  Luka Modric (7/10):

  Part of a double-substitution with Joselu, coming on in place of Kroos, and played a pivotal role in Madrid picking up a point that looked unlikely when he entered the fray, with his passing and penetration.

  Eduardo Camavinga (6/10):

  Took over at left-back from Mendy six minutes into the second half and proved an immediate upgrade, particularly with his forays down the left flank.

  Carlo Ancelotti (7/10):

  The Bellingham goal may have come out of nowhere but the coach's changes were undeniably key to Madrid's final-quarter improvement. Though one could suggest that was evidence that Ancelotti got his starting line-up all wrong…

New Zealand women allrounder Sophie Devine has been ruled out of the upcoming home and away limited-overs series against Australia with a dislocated thumb

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jan-2017New Zealand allrounder Sophie Devine has been ruled out of the upcoming home and away limited-overs series against Australia due to a dislocated thumb. Devine, who suffered the injury during the recent Women’s Big Bash League, managed to avoid surgery, but her hand will be in a splint for four to six weeks in order for her to fully recover before the Women’s World Cup in England later this year.Northern Districts allrounder Anna Peterson has replaced Devine in the T20 squad that will travel to Australia, while Sam Curtis has taken her place for the ODIs at home.”Sam was unlucky to have missed out on the initial squad and is now coming off a match-winning unbeaten 111 off just 72 balls in the SKYCITY Hamilton NPL (Northern Premier League) on the weekend — the best innings I have seen her play,” head coach Haidee Tiffen said.”The way she combatted the threat of Holly Huddleston was a great sign of a player hitting her best form. Sam will bring her strength to our ODI middle order, while Anna Peterson’s versatility sees her get the nod for the Twenty20 squad.”In the same match that Curtis struck that century, Peterson took three wickets for 11 in four overs, apart from claiming a catch and effecting a run-out. Peterson has also been among the top six in both the batting and bowling charts in the domestic women’s Twenty20 competition, where she plays for Auckland. She last played for New Zealand in last year’s Women’s World T20.”Since her WHITE FERNS appearances last season, Anna has taken our feedback on board and worked on everything we have been looking for from her, as well as adding a further string to her bow by accepting the challenge of opening the batting for the Auckland Hearts,” Tiffen said.”That’s been tremendous to see and she has been performing well as an attacking batsman. Like Sam, she is also a strong fielder, important assets in the white ball format.”New Zealand travel to Australia to play three T20Is, starting on February 17, before the teams move back to New Zealand for a three-match ODI series that begins on February 26.

Manchester United will be confident that they can tie down Marcus Rashford on a new deal for the coming years at Old Trafford, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Marcus Rashford?

Cited by Viaplay quoted by The Manchester Evening News, Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag has signalled that he expects Rashford to renew his £200k-a-week contract at Old Trafford, which is set to run out in the summer of 2024. The 53-year-old said: "I expect Marcus Rashford to renew. He wants it. Manchester United wants it. He is a child of this club, so I assume this will happen."

The Red Devils are said to be making 'good progress' in their efforts to extend the 25-year-old's stay at Old Trafford and could make him Manchester United's best-paid player to ensure he stays at his boyhood club, as per The Telegraph.

Rashford has enjoyed a fantastic season at Manchester United and has been recognised for his consistent performances, being awarded Manchester United's Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year award.

In 2022/23, the England international has racked up 30 goals and 11 assists in 50 appearances across all competitions for the Red Devils, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones thinks that Manchester United will offer Rashford a contract that will reflect his status as a key player at the club.

Jones said: "They need to build around Rashford, they need to make sure that he is somebody the crowd can attach to; you've got to have that when building a project like this.

"Rashford doesn't want to leave, he's never wanted to leave, but it's just a case of making sure that he gets the right deal for where he is in his career right now. So I think the excitement will be pretty big.”

Should Manchester United build their team around Marcus Rashford?

It's hard to argue otherwise given his contribution to Manchester United this term and Ten Hag will be keen to see more of the same from his star man in 2023/24.

The Dutchman has tipped Rashford to hit the 40-goal mark next season, as per The Independent, stating: he can improve but I am happy from where he was last season to what he did now, that he brings himself back. We supported him where we could, with the way of play but also in his mental mindset, so we are happy with that. But, yeah, we have to push for more and I am sure he’s capable to score 40 goals in a season, to make also for him the next step.”

WhoScored note that Rashford has been Manchester United's third-most consistent performer behind Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, earning an average match rating of 7.08/10 for his performances.

Rashford has also recorded 120 shot-creating actions in all competitions, as per FBRef, demonstrating his ability to be a chance provided as well as a goalscorer.

It is clear there is more to come from Rashford and Manchester United fans will be desperate to see him sign a new deal at Old Trafford.