Andoni Iraola has been ruled out of contention for the Manchester United job as Michael Carrick edges closer to being confirmed as head coach.
Although United insist no decision has been made, all the signs point to Carrick and an announcement could be made before the end of the season.
Iraola is leaving Bournemouth and it is believed that he would have been among the leading contenders if United decide against keeping Carrick. But Confidential understands the 43-year-old is no longer under consideration, leaving him free to discuss the managerial vacancies at Crystal Palace and Chelsea.
It looks as though Carrick has done enough to stay in charge after guiding United back into the Champions League. The 44-year-old is set to be rewarded with a new contract along with his backroom staff of Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate, Jonny Evans and Travis Binnion.
It would make sense for the club to clarify the situation before the players leave for the summer after the final game at Brighton a week on Sunday. The squad are known to have been talking amongst themselves about who might get the job if Carrick doesn’t. It also promises to be a busy transfer window for United, and potential targets will want to know who will be in charge at Old Trafford next season.
The club have been determined to take their time and follow a thorough process that has involved talking to a number of candidates.
Michael Carrick’s hopes of landing the Manchester United manager’s job permanently have been given a boost
Andoni Iraola will leave Bournemouth at the end of the season – but the Spaniard won’t be heading to Old Trafford
United bosses also wanted to allay any remaining concerns about backing Carrick, whose only other managerial job was at Middlesbrough, and were wary of history repeating itself following the decision to give caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a long-term contract in 2019.
But they have been hugely impressed by the way Carrick has galvanised the club since replacing Ruben Amorim in mid-January, winning 10 of his 15 games in charge with three draws and just two defeats.
Confidential revealed last month that Carrick was in pole position to be installed on a permanent basis, and wins over Brentford and Liverpool to clinch a place in next season’s Champions League only strengthened his case.
Rashy in a rush
United and Marcus Rashford both want to resolve his future as quickly as possible after the England star helped Barcelona clinch the La Liga title by scoring in their Clasico win over Real Madrid.
United are banking on Rashford leaving this summer, Barca would like to keep him and the player is hoping to stay. He also wants clarity over the situation before going to the World Cup, so a swift solution would appear to be in everyone’s best interests.
His representatives, brothers Dwaine Maynard and Dane Rashford, joined other family members at the Nou Camp on Sunday to see the 28-year-old open the scoring with a sensational free-kick in the 2-0 win over Madrid.
United have so far rejected the Catalan club’s request to take Rashford on loan for another season or renegotiate an option in their current agreement that enables them to buy him for £26million. If a compromise can’t be found, it’s feasible that Rashford could return to United this summer. However, there appears to be little prospect of him playing for them again, despite the club needing a left-sided attacker.
United are committed to driving down the wage bill and Rashford will be the highest earner on the books at £315,000-a-week once Casemiro leaves at the end of the season. They would look to sell him amid interest from Arsenal and Bayern Munich, although Confidential understands neither club has made contact with United yet.
Marcus Rashford (far right) scores his wonderful free-kick in El Clasico at the weekend
The on-loan United player would like to make the move to Barcelona a permanent one
Goalkeeper Andre Onana is in a similar situation, with United unwilling to pay £120,000 a week for him to be sat on the bench as back-up to Senne Lammens. Onana has been on loan at Trabzonspor and the Turkish club would like to keep him but – unlike Rashford – there is no option to buy in the deal.
In the case of Rasmus Hojlund, there is an obligation for Napoli to sign him permanently for £38m if they qualify for the Champions League, but a 3-2 defeat at home to Bologna on Monday night means that has yet to be confirmed.
As well as potentially banking significant transfer fees for Hojlund, Rashford and Onana this summer, United will clear their salaries off the wage bill along with Casemiro and Jadon Sancho whose contracts – worth a weekly £375,000 and £250,000 respectively – will run out on June 30.
Eds or tales?
United will use the savings – and extra £100m guaranteed by Champions League qualification – to make a number of new signings, but a deal for Atalanta midfielder Ederson is not as advanced as has been suggested.
The 26-year-old Brazil midfielder is high on United’s list of targets, and it’s quite possible he could end up at Old Trafford this summer. But sources insist there has not been any contact between the two clubs, and speculation in Italy that personal terms have already been agreed is premature.
Ederson is available at £40m which was enough to deter Atletico Madrid from pursuing a deal and switch their sights to his Brazil team-mate Joao Gomes at Wolves.
United could be in the market for three midfielders this summer, with Manuel Ugarte likely to follow Casemiro out of Old Trafford. They will look to sign a player for around £80m from a list that includes AZ Alkmaar’s Kees Smit as well as Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest, Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace, Newcastle man Sandro Tonali and Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni.
United will also look to sign a midfielder in the £40m bracket – from a pool that includes Ederson as well as West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes and Bournemouth duo Alex Scott and Tyler Adams – plus a squad player for around £20m.
Atalanta’s Ederson (left) is on United’s wishlist but there has been no contact between the clubs
City’s Kennet coup
United will also be on the lookout for emerging talent, but they could lose out to Manchester City in the race for highly-rated Hertha Berlin defensive midfielder Kennet Eichhorn. The 16-year-old German prospect is on the radar of most of Europe’s top clubs, and it’s understood that City are ready to move quickly to beat their rivals.
Leicester winger Jeremy Monga, also 16, is another youngster who has caught United’s eye. The England Under-19 international made 30 appearances this season for Leicester, who may be willing to lower their asking price after dropping into League One. Arsenal are hot on Monga’s trail and Real Madrid are also admirers.
City’s ticket sales struggles
With the FA Youth Cup final looming, the reason for City’s reluctance to host the game at the Etihad seems more apparent than ever judging by ticket sales for the big game.
While United sold out their allocation of less than 1,000 to season-ticket holders in a matter of minutes, City are still advertising sales of their share of 4,000 tickets. City have insisted on staging the final at the 6,500-capacity Joie Stadium used by their academy and women’s teams rather than moving it to the 53,400-seater Etihad next door due to what the club say are scheduling and construction issues.
It has also avoided the awkward scenario of City being heavily outnumbered in their own stadium for the first all-Manchester Youth Cup final since 1986. With the players receiving four tickets each for the game, and more seats lost to allow for segregation, there is even more of a squeeze inside the compact Joie Stadium.
When United lifted the trophy in 2022 with a team inspired by Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, 67,000 turned up at Old Trafford for the final against Nottingham Forest. Sadly, only a fraction of their fans will get to see Thursday’s showpiece, denying both sets of players the grander stage this occasion deserves.
Kobbie Mainoo with the 2022 FA Youth Cup which was won in front of 67,000 fans at Old Trafford
Stars out for Youth Cup bid
United are ready to pull out all the stops for their Under 18s in the lead-up to Thursday’s FA Youth Cup final against Manchester City.
While Carrick has already confirmed that he will be at Joie Stadium to watch it, Confidential understands that there are numerous surprises in store for Darren Fletcher and his players in the build-up to the game.
United sources have been sworn to secrecy on the exact nature of those surprises, determined not to ruin it for the youngsters, but they are set to include messages of support from first-team stars.
Last Friday, up at the team hotel in Newcastle, captain Bruno Fernandes watched a stream of the Under 21s defeating Manchester City at the Joie Stadium to reach the Premier League 2 play-off final. Senne Lammens went to see the Under 18s play in the Youth Cup earlier this season at Old Trafford, and sources have not ruled out the prospect of first-team players going to watch the showpiece final across Manchester on Thursday.
Confidential has learned that Tom Heaton has been in regular dialogue about the Youth Cup with young players stepping up into first-team training, passing on every piece of advice from his extensive career.
Speaking of the Under 18s, Daily Mail Sport will have interviews with Fletcher and two players, Rafe McCormack and Yoel Helafu, out in the coming days as part of our extensive coverage ahead of the final.
JJ Gabriel will be in action for Manchester United’s Under 18s in the FA Youth Cup final on Thursday
New kit’s a smash hit
Work has been undertaken at pace to get everything ready for the launch of the new home shirt this week – so much so that it wasn’t without a hiccup or two.
Daily Mail Sport exclusively revealed how United are due to unveil next season’s home shirt early by wearing it in the final two games of this season against Nottingham Forest and Brighton.
The shirt, which will launch officially on Thursday, is being heavily promoted this week as part of a marketing campaign that will also utilise I’m A Celebrity winner Angry Ginge, and popular music artist and fellow United fan Aitch.
But club officials found themselves with an unexpected clean-up job in recent days when a makeover of Old Trafford’s facade saw a giant pane of glass situated above the megastore smashed in the process. Footage shared on social media captured the moment it shattered into pieces as a full-length poster of players wearing the new kit was being laid over the top of it.
The temporary solution was to cover the hole with wood… but the club will hope shirt sale release day goes a little smoother!
Cash in the trash
A pair of Cristiano Ronaldo’s boots that were fished out of a bin at Carrington have sold for £7,500 at auction.
The gold Nike Vapors are said to have been retrieved by United’s old cleaner Tony Heywood after Ronaldo threw them away at the end of a training session in 2004.
A black away shirt worn by the Portugal star in a win over Liverpool at Anfield in 2005 was sold for £14,000 when it went under the hammer at Graham Budd auctioneers in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire – more than a red jersey worn by David Beckham in the Treble season which fetched £10,000.
An original ‘Manchester United Football Club’ sign that was mounted on top of the Stretford End and given by Sir Matt Busby to his barber when the ground was redeveloped in 1992 failed to sell after its reserve was not met.
The lot was valued at between £40-60,000, and Confidential understands that it may be re-auctioned with a lower reserve unless the under-bidders can agree a private sale with the vendor.
A pair of gold boots thrown away by Cristiano Ronaldo after training with United have sold for £7,500 at auction
OT strikes fear into Ne-Yo
The concept of an away end is alien to many Americans, and R&B star Ne-Yo has described how he found being at Old Trafford earlier this month for United’s 3-2 win over Liverpool ‘one of the coolest yet scariest things’.
United surrendered a two-goal lead to their old rivals before Mainoo’s late strike sealed victory, but the 46-year-old US music artist was fascinated by what was going on in the stands.
‘OK, so I’ve been to a game before, but it wasn’t that,’ Ne-Yo told the Capital XTRA Breakfast show. ‘Like I went in, shook hands with some people, and then we left. I didn’t get to stay and actually watch the game.
‘This time, I got to sit and watch the game and feel the energy when somebody gets a goal and it is electric! One of the coolest yet scariest things. Mind you, there’s 80,000 people in there, right? There’s 70,000 people from Manchester United, and the other 10,000 are stuck in this little corner right on the side, surrounded by police.
‘And I’m like, “OK, if anything does go wrong, then police is not stopping 70,000 people from jumping on these 10,000!”. But, it was an experience to say the least. I would absolutely do it again!’
