Sport

Man City hoping to snap up promising Liverpool youngster with multiple clubs monitoring

The clock is ticking.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 18th February 2026

Manchester City are hoping to secure the signature of a rising Liverpool star who is already looking like one to watch, but they’ll have to wrestle with a number of teams if they want to get their man.

For starters, his parent club don’t want to let him go, but they have until this summer to lock him into a new deal, with suitors ready and waiting in the wings.

The promising youth player in question is Josh Abe, who is just 15 years old but has already made a bit of sporting history on Merseyside and even in Europe.

Having already scored a hatful of goals at various levels, several Premier League outfits are now monitoring his contract situation, with Abe still yet to commit his future to Melwood and possible Liverpool first-team opportunities – and it’s not hard to see why so many want him…

The Warrington-born winger has registered eight goals and a trio of assists for the under-18s this season, including a standout performance against Derby, as well as a hat-trick against Leeds United earlier this month.

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Cementing himself in the record books as their youngest ever scorer at that level, he also happened to play a key role in their 3-2 win over Oliver Reiss’ side back in October, grabbing a goal and assisting as they beat City in the division for the first time in half a dozen years.

But he’s impressed beyond just LFC ranks, too.

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In addition to becoming the youngest Liverpool product to ever feature in the UEFA Youth League, he has also been called up to England’s U16s.

With early nods of recognition across the board, it’s little surprise that he’s now trained with Arne Slot’s senior squad on more than one occasion.

However, scousers are still waiting to see his full professional debut, as it looks like his employers have a fight on their hands to keep the fast-progressing young forward.

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As per The Athletic‘s James Pearce, Man City look to be leading their pursuit for Josh Abe not only as a major rival club and the next nearest destination, but because of the increased wages they could theoretically offer him as an aspiring pro and potential future prospect.

On the other hand, if Liverpool do fail to tie him down, his agency, PLG – headed up by Tyler Alexander-Arnold, the brother of Trent – will be free to negotiate from June 1 onwards if he doesn’t extend his stay – it could be a three-horse race to snap him up.

Apart from City, both Chelsea and Arsenal are said to be interested in recruiting him, and with it being reported that teenaged attacker’s father is a lifelong Gunner, they could pose an added threat to the Blues sealing a transfer.

Then again, we’ve seen Chelsea continue to swallow up talent all over the country for their academy time and time again, plus they’ve been pretty lax when it comes to the salary budget for years now. All that being said, the CFG (City Football Group) could face quite a scrap should Abe decide to leave Liverpool.

Naturally, he’s already been the subject of a ‘future wonderkid’ highlights reel on YouTube; you can see some of his best moments so far down below.

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Have you seen clips of him before, and/or are you buying into the hype?

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Featured Images — PB Comps/Liverpool FC (screenshots via YouTube)/ALL RED Video

Sport

Manchester Marathon 2026 guide – waves, start times, route map and much more

Danny Jones Danny Jones

It’s nearly that time again: the adidas Manchester Marathon has come back around for 2026, so it’s about time we gave you a helpful guide on everything you need to know.

Doesn’t matter whether you’re running it or are simply set to be one of the countless people expected to line the streets in support of the annual event; there are plenty of important details that can help make it as stress-free as possible.

Well, there are obviously going to be plenty of nerves out on the tarmac, but we already know you’re going to smash it.

So, without further ado, let’s get stuck in…

The great big Manchester Marathon guide – all the key info

We can start off by letting you know that, no, there aren’t any places left to join this year’s Manchester Marathon, but as always, it’s worth keeping an eye out on social media for any last-minute bibs going.

There’s always a fair few drop-outs in the last few weeks leading up to a big race, and while we hope it’s not happened to you or anyone you know, do let people know down in the comments if you know of any spares so we can field out the field as much as possible.

Waves and start times for the 2026 MCR Marathon

Where else to begin than with the start times themselves? If you’re joining the pack this year, you should have long received your race pack by now – if not, you can collect yours/try to sort a back-up bib at the adidas store on Market Street – and therefore should already know when you’re getting going.

However, even if you’re just watching, it can be helpful to know the exact minute that your friends and loved ones’ waves are starting. Here’s a full breakdown:

MCR Marathon wave start times
(Credit: adidas Manchester Marathon)

If you’re wondering how best to track those taking part, as well as sharing names and numbers on race bibs for predictive tracking, we would always recommend turning on the ‘Find My’ app on Apple devices and/or your phone’s equivalent.

We would also suggest sharing your location on WhatsApp, which can be set for several hours and beyond, which is usually pretty accurate.

Manchester Marathon route and event map

As for this year’s marathon route, 2026 marks just the second year that the sell-out Manc run will see its final stretch along the Oxford Road Corridor, with the finish line hosted just outside The University of Manchester’s historic Whitworth Hall.

Complete with a series of adidas-branded hoardings tilted at an angle for those cheering from the sidelines to slam and spur finishers along those last few yards.

Once again, the course will take participants from beneath the Trafford City Arch near White City retail park, down Bridgewater Way, then Chester Road, before heading towards Castlefield and Deansgate, on to Stretford, Sale, Timperley, Altrincham, and then out of Trafford in the direction of Baguley.

Eventually, you’ll make your way back to central Manchester, passing through Chorlton, Whalley Range, Hulme and eventually to the home straight on Oxford Rd for a grandstand finish.

You can see a detailed version of the Manchester Marathon right HERE and/or watch a full virtual tour of the 2026 route down below.

The start area is outside Man United’s Old Trafford stadium, which can be easily accessed by tram or car

Toilets, water and fuelling stations

Now, next up on the list of crucial locations is, obviously, the issue of toilets, as well as water and refuelling stations.

You’ll be glad to know that there will be places to go for your pre-race pees and poos, both in the first pan and in a secondary section just after you begin the starting process and head towards the retail park and Trafford Arch.

From there, runners will be able to use the toilet (fingers crossed you won’t need one) whenever they come across a water station, and in addition to the eight or nine points along the course, you can refuel energy and nutrition-wise with High5 Orange Aqua Gels.

Here’s a quick rundown of where you’ll find them:

Manc Marathon road closures

Next up, it goes without saying that such a big event is not just city centre-wide, but one spread across multiple Greater Manchester boroughs, doesn’t go ahead every single year (not to mention bigger and better each time) without some major logistical planning.

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Especially when it comes to infrastructure.

Luckily for you, we’ve got a whole separate article for that, which you can read down below; you can also use this interactive live map of all the roads that will be closed when and for how long.

Bag drop and collection points for the Manchester Marathon

The bag drop is situated near the front of Manchester United’s famous home ground, where you’ll also find the official starting area within the E2 car park.

If you plan to use this service (small sports bag or rucksack only), the organisers recommend arriving at least 45 minutes before you are due to access the start line.

Bags will then be collected and loaded into lorries corresponding to your wave colour, which will then transport them to the finish line, where they can be collected with proof. If you’re still unsure about anything, here’s a full explanation.

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Fan zones, cheers squads and popular spectator spots

As for this year’s dedicated Manchester Marathon fan zones and cheer points, you’ll find popular spectator hotspots, including the Deansgate-Castlefield Interchange, the Chester Road roundabout and strip leading up past Stretford Mall and a main section of Chorlton’s high street, just to name a few.

Thankfully, you can find lots more tips on where to cheer on your friends and family via the online Supporter Hub, including help when it comes to tracking them.

In addition to the multiple signposted junctures and atmosphere hubs, with more live music and festivities from artists, charities and local organisations than ever, last year’s Manchester Marathon official Event Village at Circle Square has also seen a big upgrade. Find out more below.

An official and completely FREE Manchester Marathon fan zone is returning for 2026

Key travel advice

As always, Transport for Greater Manchester is advising everyone making their way to the event this year to use public services wherever possible.

In terms of using the Metrolink trams, Old Trafford tram station is just 10 minutes from the start line, while Trafford Bar, Wharfside, Imperial War Museum and Exchange Quay are your next best options and still only a reasonable walk away.

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One could even say they’re the perfect distance away to go through your full warm-up routine and pre-race checks; you can also check out a full interactive map of the relevant tram lines:

As for this year’s dedicated Manchester Marathon fan zones and cheer points, you’ll find popular spectator hotspots, including the Deansgate Interchange, the Chester Road strip leading up past Stretford Mall and a main section of Chorlton’s high street, just to name a few. Thankfully, you can find lots more tips on where to cheer on your friends and family via the online Supporter Hub , including help when it comes to tracking them. In addition to the multiple signposted junctures and atmosphere hubs seen in the virtual route tour above, with more live music and festivities from artists, charities and local organisations than ever, the 2025 equivalent of previous years’ event village comes in the form of an all-new fan zone on Oxford Rd.

Finally, if you were looking to use the bus this weekend, you can see the full list of bus diversions HERE.

Last but not least, there’s nothing else left for us to say other than good luck to everyone taking part, and whatever reason you’re running the 2026 Manchester Marathon, go and SMASH it!

We’re with you every step of that very long way.

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via Manchester Marathon)

Sport

Michael Carrick brands Lisandro Martinez’s red card as ‘one of the worst’ decisions he’s ever seen

Danny Jones Danny Jones Carrick says Martinez red card is one of the worst decision he's ever seen

Michael Carrick has dubbed the red card shown to Lisando Martinez on Monday night “one of the worst I’ve seen”.

In case you missed it, Martinez’s sending off proved to be the decisive moment in Manchester United’s sour defeat to old rivals Leeds.

Despite pulling one back through another Bruno Fernandes assist and another Casemiro header from a set-piece, Man United went on to lose 2-1 in what was Leeds’ first win at Old Trafford since 1981.

A night to remember for the Whites and one that Reds, equally and ironically, won’t soon forget either, with the Argentinian being dismissed for what the referees deemed ‘violent conduct’. For those who haven’t seen it, here’s the incident in question:

While there is a noticeable grabbing of the hair, Carrick and many others are understandably questioning the perceived ‘force’ that influenced Paul Tierney’s final ruling.

Put simply, many have put it down to whether or not it’s a hair pull/grab and how much of a tug the opponent felt.

Yorkshire-born striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin said in an interview after the whistle: “I don’t make the rules. I told the referee that my hair was pulled.”

Clearly, Carrick is far from the only one who thinks it was a “shocking” call from the officials, either.

Several pundits argued that it was “harsh” to send off ‘Licha’, with even old foes like former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher stating live on Sky Sports’ MNF analysis of the game: “I think everybody in the game is looking at that and thinking, ‘Oh, come on. That is not a red card. Behave yourself!

As the current interim Man United boss – on whom it remains to be seen whether or not he will get the job full-time – he was left visibly frustrated in his own post-match pressers, highlighting that there were other moments in the game that the referees missed or simply overlooked.

The Stretford finally saw their interim head coach make his emotions plain to see.

Fans online have cited other recent examples, such as Man City’s Antoine Semenyo having his hair pulled against Fulham just a couple of months ago, which went unpunished, as well as David Brooks getting away with only a booking for something similar on Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella back in January.

The general consensus in the stands on the night at Old Trafford, on social media in the aftermath, and indeed throughout the Premier League, is that supporters simply want more consistency when it comes to stuff like this.

Rule books change and get more complicated all the time; that’s just football, but if that is the way it will continue going, arbitrators like the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) have to uphold their own standards.

Now slapped with a three-match ban, Martinez had only just returned to the fold but will now be missing once again. Another absentee whose presence was clearly missed on the night was midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, though United fans will at least be relieved to hear his injury is nothing serious.

And that’s not the only positive update regarding the homegrown young star, either…

Kobbie Mainoo’s new Manchester United contract is edging closer

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Featured Images — Sky Sports (screenshots via YouTube)

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